WORK AND PENSIONS

Child Support Agency

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many of the Child Support Agency's cases concerned a child who was between the ages of 16 and 18 years in the last period for which figures are available.

James Plaskitt: The administration of the Child Support Agency is a matter for the Chief Executive. He will write to the hon. Member.
	 Letter from Stephen Geraghty, dated 29 November 2007:
	In reply to your parliamentary question about the Child Support Agency, the Secretary of State promised a substantive reply from the chief Executive.
	You asked the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many of the Child Support Agency's cases concerned a child who was between the ages of 16 and 18 years in the last period for which figures are available.
	As at September 2007, the Agency has 269,000 assessed cases which involved at least one child between the ages of 16 and 18 years inclusive. This figure includes cases with a positive liability as well as those with a nil liability.
	I hope you find this answer helpful.

Children: Daycare

Diane Abbott: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what steps his Department is taking to improve access to child care for lone parents who are being encouraged back to work.

Caroline Flint: We want to give lone parents the opportunity to plan a better future for themselves and their children and we know that child care availability is of vital importance to lone parents returning to work.
	In June 2007 the stock of registered child care stood at over 1.28 million places, which is more than double the 1997 total, and the aim of the Government's national child care strategy for England is that by 2010 there will be a child care place for all children aged between three and 14, between the hours of 8 am to 6 pm each weekday, all year round. By that date there will be over two million sustainable child care places for children up to the age of 14. The strategy is given legislative underpinning by the Childcare Act 2006 which requires local authorities in England and Wales to secure child care to meet the needs of working parents in their areas. The Scottish Executive have committed to extending access to child care that meets the needs of working parents even though the legislative requirements of the Childcare Act do not apply there.
	Every Jobcentre Plus district has a child care partnership manager (CPM), with additional resource in new deal plus for lone parent pilot areas. CPMs have a key role to play in helping to improve access to child care and overcome child care barriers to work for unemployed parents and a fundamental part of this is gathering intelligence about the local child care market and customer needs, and using it to ensure that key issues for disadvantaged parents seeking to move into work are addressed within local child care provision.
	Action is under way within Jobcentre Plus to ensure that all parents, not just lone parents, are routinely informed about formal child care and its benefits by Jobcentre Plus Advisers and signposted to further help and information, for example, from Children's Information Services.

Children: Maintenance

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what steps he plans to take to ensure that maintenance payments calculated by the Childrens Maintenance and Enforcement Commission are appropriate in respect of both parents, with particular reference to costs incurred for daytime care of children.

James Plaskitt: The principles of the basic maintenance formula under the Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission (C-MEC) will be based on the structure of the simpler formula introduced in 2003 with percentage rates based on the non-resident parent's income and number of qualifying children. The percentage rates strike the right balance between the needs of the child and the other expenses that non-resident parents have to meet.
	A reduction in the amount of child maintenance otherwise payable will continue to apply where the non-resident parent shares the care of a qualifying child for 52 or more nights a year. The Government have no plans to take account of daytime care. Childcare costs incurred by a working parent are recognised in housing benefit, council tax benefit and working tax credit.

Departmental Correspondence

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what percentage of inquiries received by his Department from the public were responded to within  (a) one week,  (b) 14 days,  (c) 28 days,  (d) two months and  (e) three months in the last period for which figures are available; and in what percentage of cases it took (i) over three months and (ii) over one year to respond.

Anne McGuire: The information is not available.

Departmental ICT

Angus MacNeil: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much his Department pays per computer to EDS for professional services each month; and whether this sum includes call-out charges.

Mike O'Brien: The Department for Work and Pensions realigned its contract with EDS in 2005. Under the realigned contract, EDS owns, supplies and refreshes the equipment every three years, while the Department pays for the services it uses.
	The annual service charge for a standard desktop PC is about £590 (or approximately £49 per month). This includes use and refresh of the equipment, standard software, and a comprehensive range of maintenance and support services, including call-out charges where applicable.

Departmental Manpower

Charles Walker: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the full-time equivalent headcount in his Department is; what the forecast full-time equivalent headcount for his Department is for  (a) 2008-09 and  (b) 2009-10; and if he will make a statement.

Anne McGuire: The Department's headcount as at the 30 September 2007 (date of the latest quarterly statistics provided to the Office for National Statistics) was l05,460 (full-time equivalents).
	Data published for earlier quarters is available at:
	www.statistics.gov.uk/pdfdir/pse0907.pdf.
	At this stage of the Spending Review 2007 planning process, the Department does not yet have a forecast headcount available for the financial years 2008-09 and 2009-10.

Departmental Manpower

Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people aged  (a) 30 to 39,  (b) 40 to 49,  (c) 50 to 59 and  (d) 60 to 69 years have (i) applied for jobs, (ii) received interviews and (iii) gained (A) temporary and (B) permanent jobs in his Department in 2007.

Anne McGuire: This information can be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Departmental Public Participation

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what opinion polls the Department has conducted of  (a) the public and  (b) staff since 27 June 2007; and what the (i) name of the firm employed to conduct the poll, (ii) purpose and (iii) cost to the public purse was in each case.

Anne McGuire: My Department has not conducted any opinion polls with staff since 27 June 2007. My Department has conducted the following omnibus research surveys which are outlined in the following table.
	
		
			  Project  Contractor  Purpose  Cost (£) 
			 NatCen Omnibus Survey (Module 1) National Centre for Social Research To examine attitudes to mental health and employment 77,700 
			 NatCen Omnibus Survey (Module 2) National Centre for Social Research To examine attitudes to seeking psychological therapies for mental health conditions 26,375 
			 NatCen Omnibus Survey National Centre for Social Research To examine attitudes to child poverty 20,000 
			 ONS Omnibus Survey (Disability Module) Office for National Statistics Seeks opinion/views on a range of disability issues 27,192 
			 Attitudes to state pensions British Market Research Bureau To explore attitudes to state pensions 5,590

Departmental Secondment

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many secondments of staff were made  (a) to and  (b) from his Department in each year since 1997; which organisations staff were seconded (i) to and (ii) from; how many staff were seconded in each year; for how long each secondment lasted; and what the cost was of each secondment in each year.

Anne McGuire: The information requested can be supplied only at disproportionate cost.

Disability Living Allowance

Martyn Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what percentage of disability living allowance claims were rejected in the first instance in the latest period for which figures are available; and of this percentage how many of these cases were overturned on appeal.

Anne McGuire: In 2006-07 53 per cent. of disability living allowance new claims received were unsuccessful. Information about the percentage of these cases that were overturned on appeal is not available.

Disability Living Allowance

Roger Gale: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the levels of higher rate of  (a) disability and  (b) mobility allowance were in each year since 2002.

Anne McGuire: The information is in the following table.
	
		
			  Disability living allowance higher rates 
			  £ 
			  As at 1 April each year  Highest rate care  Higher rate mobility 
			 2002 56.25 39.30 
			 2003 57.20 39.95 
			 2004 58.80 41.05 
			 2005 60.60 42.30 
			 2006 62.25 43.45 
			 2007 64.50 45.00

Disability Living Allowance

Roger Gale: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will give consideration to extending winter fuel payments to include all severely disabled people in receipt of the higher rate of the mobility component of disability living allowance.

Mike O'Brien: Winter fuel payments are paid to older people as a once a year lump sum payment in advance of winter heating bills. Generally, severely disabled people need help for their additional costs, which may include extra heating, all year round and not just in the winter months. Help is available for severely disabled people through the care and mobility components in disability living allowance and the disability premiums in the income-related benefits which have a substantially higher annual value than the winter fuel payment and are spread over a 52-week period. We always keep WFP under review.

Disability Living Allowance: Ritalin

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether parents can claim disability living allowance for children with behavioural problems which require prescriptions of Ritalin; and if he will make a statement.

Anne McGuire: Entitlement to disability living allowance is not linked to particular disabling conditions, but on the extent to which a severely disabled person has personal care needs and/or walking difficulties as a result of their disability. Parents can claim disability living allowance for children with behavioural problems, including those which require prescriptions of Ritalin, as long as their disability meets the above criteria.

Disabled: Fuel Costs

Roger Gale: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  what proportion of disability living allowance is allocated to cover extra fuel costs incurred by disabled people;
	(2)  in what ways his Department makes provision for the extra fuel costs incurred by high lesion spinal cord injured people requiring a minimum temperature controlled environment.

Anne McGuire: Disability living allowance is paid as a contribution towards the extra costs faced by severely disabled people as a result of their disabilities. Depending on their need for personal care, supervision or help getting around, this could include people with a high lesion spinal cord injury.
	Disability living allowance is not intended to meet specific extra costs, such as fuel, and recipients are free to spend the benefit according to their own priorities and requirements.

Influenza

Andrew Murrison: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what progress has been made in developing arrangements for  (a) sickness certification and  (b) payment of benefits as preparation for dealing with any future pandemic influenza outbreak; and if he will make a statement.

Anne McGuire: The precise characteristics and impact of an influenza pandemic will only become apparent as the virus emerges, so that the pandemic threat and the UK's level of preparedness are constantly evolving. DWP continues to be involved in drawing up and revising the UK pandemic flu plan, along with other Government Departments. Plans aim for the continuation of everyday activities as far as practicable, including the availability of sick pay and state benefits.
	Appropriate changes to sickness certification, which balance the interests of patients, employers and the NHS, will be introduced as and when necessary to help achieve that aim. During an influenza pandemic, DWP will aim to continue services that support people into work, but will give priority to maintaining financial support. Customer payments, which are largely automated, will continue to be paid. DWP and HMRC have robust business continuity plans in place to ensure that the administration and key services that support these payments can be maintained during a pandemic.

Local Authorities: Equal Opportunities

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what discussions he has had with the Treasury on the appropriate level of resources for local authorities in relation to their obligations under the disability equality duty.

Anne McGuire: The Department held discussions on this issue with the Department for Communities and Local Government (then Office of the Deputy Prime Minister) as part of the development of the Disability Discrimination Act 2005.
	We provided local authorities with an additional £11 million over the last two financial years, in line with our responsibilities under the New Burdens rules for the work which authorities were required to carry out to develop a disability equality scheme.

Pensions: British Nationals Overseas

John Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many recipients living overseas have had their state earnings related pension frozen; and how much it would cost to uprate those pensions  (a) with and  (b) without back payments.

Mike O'Brien: We estimate that the state earnings related pension is paid to around 110,000 overseas recipients of the UK state pension who live in countries where the pension is not uprated.
	The estimated cost to uprate this element of the state pension is around 18 million in 2007-08 and it would cost around £170 million in 2007-08 if this was backdated and arrears paid.
	 Note: Estimates based on the latest available September 2006 RPWB dataset (5 per cent. administrative data sample).

Social Security Benefits: Pensioners

Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the value was of attendance allowance and disability living allowance payments to people over retirement age living in the Huddersfield local authority area in  (a) 1996 and  (b) 2006-07.

Anne McGuire: Information about the value of attendance allowance and disability living allowance payments to people over retirement age is in the following tables.
	
		
			  Kirklees local authority  Status  Year  Annual expenditure (£ million) cash terms 
			 Attendance allowance Outturn 1996-97 15.4 
			  Provisional outturn 2006-07 21.1 
			 
			 Disability living allowance Outturn 1996-97 8.7 
			  Provisional outturn 2006-07 22.2 
		
	
	
		
			  Kirklees local authority  Status  Year  Annual (£ million ) 2 007-08 prices expenditure 
			 Attendance allowance Outturn 1996-97 20.3 
			  Provisional outturn 2006-07 21.8 
			 
			 Disability living allowance Outturn 1996-97 11.5 
			  Provisional outturn 2006-07 23.0 
			  Notes:  1. The 1996-97 caseloads used in the apportionment of expenditure are based on 5 per cent. samples, which have been calibrated to 100 per cent. data.  2. 100 per cent. data has been used to apportion expenditure for 2006-07.  3. All figures have been rounded to the nearest £100,000.  4. Expenditure has been converted from cash terms to 2007-08 prices using GDP deflators which were published alongside the 2007 pre-Budget report and comprehensive spending review.  5. All figures are consistent with the 2007 pre-Budget report and comprehensive spending review, as well as expenditure information published on the internet at www.dwp.gov.uk/asd/asd4/expenditure.asp.  Source:  Expenditure has been taken from departmental accounting systems and combined with 100 per cent. statistical data to identify the proportion of expenditure paid to people over retirement age living in Kirklees local authority.

Social Security Benefits: Peterborough

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people on benefits in Peterborough constituency had been in receipt of benefits continuously for over 12 months in each year since 1997, broken down by  (a) active and  (b) inactive benefits.

James Plaskitt: The information is in the following table.
	
		
			  Working age claimants of active or inactive benefits with a duration of over 12 months in the Peterborough parliamentary constituency, as at May each year 
			   Active benefits( 1)  Inactive benefits( 2) 
			 1997 3,110 6,100 
			 1998 2,160 6,200 
			 1999 2,000 6,500 
			 2000 1,770 5,600 
			 2001 1,640 5,700 
			 2002 1,450 5,880 
			 2003 1,740 5,930 
			 2004 1,800 5,940 
			 2005 1,960 5,740 
			 2006 2,210 5,750 
			 2007 2,280 5,820 
			 (1) 'Active benefits' means jobseeker's allowance. (2) 'Inactive benefits' means working age claimants of income support (income support claimants include: lone parents; sick and disabled; carers; and others), incapacity benefit (including national insurance credits only cases), and severe disablement allowance.  Notes: 1. Inactive benefits case loads 1997 to 1999 figures are rounded to the nearest 100 and for 2000 onwards are rounded to the nearest 10. 2. Inactive benefits case loads for 1997 to 1999 have been uprated by applying 5 per cent. proportions to 100 per cent. WPLS data. 3. Active benefit case loads are rounded to the nearest 5.  Sources: Department for Work and Pensions, Information Directorate, 5 per cent. sample, February 1997 to 1999; Information Directorate, Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study (WPLS) 100 per cent. data, February 2000 onwards; and 100 per cent. count of claimants of unemployment-related benefits, Jobcentre Plus computer systems.

DEFENCE

Armed Forces: Compensation

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 13 November 2007,  Official Report, column 121W, on armed forces: compensation, how many multiple injuries cases there were in each financial year since 2005-06.

Derek Twigg: The information requested is not held centrally for the War Pensions Scheme and could only be provided at disproportionate cost. However, I am able to provide details of the number of awards made under the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme for multiple injuries in each year. These are shown in the following table:
	
		
			  Multiple injury awards( 1, 2) 
			   Number 
			 April 2005-March 2006 20 
			 April 2006-March 2007 160 
			 April 2007-September 2007 100 
			 (1) Data have been rounded to the nearest five.  (2) Figures show the year in which the award was made, this is not necessarily the year in which the injury/illness occurred.

Armed Forces: Housing

Andrew Murrison: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the contribution that can be made to remedying homelessness by releasing void married quarters to Annington Homes.

Derek Twigg: None. The alternative use of surplus service families accommodation returned to Annington Homes Limited (AHL) is a matter for the company.

Armed Forces: Manpower

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the  (a) percentage recruitment gap and  (b) percentage change in personnel numbers of each regiment was in the latest year for which figures are available.

Derek Twigg: Officers are not recruited against regimental targets but against a whole Army requirement. It is only after completing officer training and commissioning that an officer joins a particular regiment.
	Army recruitment targets are broken down by arm/service for soldiers. There are no recruitment targets set for the small arms school corps or the Army physical training corps because recruits are required to serve as a soldier before they are entitled to join.
	The following tables provide details of army officer and soldier recruitment targets and achievement for the financial year 2006-07, and the change in Army officer and soldier full-time trained strengths between 1 April 2006 and 1 March 2007.
	
		
			  Army recruitment targets and achievements during financial year 2006-07 
			  Rank  Arm/service  Recruitment target  Number recruited  Recruitment percentage 
			 Officers  840 780 92.9 
			  
			 Soldier Total 13,070 12,660 96.9 
			  Household Cavalry 170 170 100.0 
			  Royal Armoured Corps 630 630 100.0 
			  Royal Artillery 1,030 970 94.2 
			  Royal Engineers 1,370 1,340 97.8 
			  Royal Corps of Signals 870 750 86.2 
			  Infantry 4,260 4,310 101.2 
			  Army Air Corps 190 210 110.5 
			  Royal Logistics Corps 2,410 2,100 87.1 
			  Army Medical Service 450 430 95.6 
			  Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers 1,060 1,290 121.7 
			  Adjutant General Corps 400 260 65.0 
			  Intelligence Corps 160 160 100.0 
			  Corps of Army Music 70 40 57.1 
			  Notes: 1. Figures for Army recruitment targets and achievement have been taken from recruiting databases and cannot therefore be compared directly to National Statistics published by the Defence Analytical Services Agency. 2. The counts of targets and achievements have been rounded to the nearest 10. Due to the rounding methods used, totals may not always equal the sum of the parts. Numbers ending in "5" have been rounded to the nearest multiple of 20 to prevent systematic bias. 
		
	
	
		
			  Army full-time trained strength (excluding Gurkhas) 
			  Rank  Arm/Service  Strength 1 April 2006  Strength 1 March 2007  Change percentage 
			  
			 Officers Total 14,020 14,180 1.2 
			  
			 Soldier Total 83,270 81,760 -1.8 
			  Household Cavalry/Royal Armoured Corps 4,650 4,650 -0.1 
			  Royal Artillery 6,270 5,980 -4.9 
			  Royal Engineers 7,620 7,690 0.9 
			  Royal Corps of Signals 7,520 7,220 -4.3 
			  Infantry 21,160 20,830 -1.8 
			  Army Air Corps 1,480 1,510 2.0 
			  Royal Logistics Corps 13,990 13,740 -2.0 
			  Army Medical Service 2,880 2,760 -4.1 
			  Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers 8,900 8,780 -1.5 
			  Adjutant General Corps 5,610 5,280 -6.6 
			  Small Arms School Corps 120 120 1.6 
			  Intelligence Corps 1,180 1,200 1.4 
			  Army Physical Training Corps 410 400 -2.8 
			  Corps of Army Music 880 840 -6.0 
			  Long Service List 610 610 -0.7 
			  Notes: 1. Full-time trained strength includes full-time reserve service (FTRS) figures but excludes Gurkhas. 2. Figures exclude; Gurkhas, Home Service Battalions of the Royal Irish Regiment, mobilised reserves, Territorial Army and other reserves. 3. Due to ongoing data validation following the introduction of the new Joint Personnel Administration (JP A) System, there is no Arm/Corps information currently available from 1 March 2007 therefore it is only possible to provide strengths data for 2006-07 from 1 April 2006 to 1 March 2007. 4. The counts of targets and achievements have been rounded to the nearest 10. Due to the founding methods used, totals may not always equal the sum of the parts. Numbers ending in "5" have been rounded to the nearest multiple of 20 to prevent systematic bias.

Armoured Fighting Vehicles: Contracts

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether Land Rover has been invited to participate in the tender process for the new defence vehicle; how many vehicles are included in the tender; what the size is of the vehicle in the tender; and which companies were included in the tender process.

Bob Ainsworth: holding answer 27 November 2007
	It is envisaged that up to 16,000 vehicles could be procured under the Operational Utility Vehicles System (OUVS) programme to replace the in-service light utility vehicle capability currently provided by truck utility light, truck utility medium, truck utility medium (heavy duty) and truck utility heavy. The exact user requirements have yet to be fully defined, but it is expected that a range of vehicles will be required, providing payloads of between one to six tonnes.
	OUVS is currently in the concept phase and an invitation to tender has not yet been issued. An expression of interest advertisement was published in both the European Official Journal and the Defence Contract Bulletin in September 2007, which has attracted over 50 responses from industry, including Land Rover.

Bosnia: Peacekeeping Operations

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will place in the Library the  (a) Crisis Management Concept,  (b) Military Strategic Options,  (c) Initiating Military Directive,  (d) Status of Forces Agreement,  (e) Status of Mission Agreement and  (f) Rules of Engagement for (i) Operation Althea and (ii) the EU military mission to Chad and the Central African Republic.

Bob Ainsworth: Status of mission agreements apply to civilian led missions only, and therefore do not apply to either Operation ALTHEA or the forthcoming mission to Chad and the Central African Republic as they are/will be military missions.
	The forthcoming EU military mission to Chad and the Central African Republic is still in the planning stage and the status of forces agreement and the rules of engagement have not yet been agreed.
	Operation ALTHEA followed on from the NATO-led Stabilisation Force (SFOR) in Bosnia Herzegovina and the NATO-led Implementation Force (IFOR) before it. As a result, United Nations Security Council Resolutions 1551 and 1574 established that the Status of Forces Agreements contained in Appendix B to Annex 1-A of the General Framework Agreement for Peace in Bosnia and Herzegovina apply with respect to the EU mission. The General Framework Agreement for Peace in Bosnia and Herzegovina can be found on the Office of the High Representative and EU Special Representative to Bosnia Herzegovina website and on the NATO website:
	http://www.ohr.int/
	http://www.nato.int/
	I am withholding the other information requested as disclosure would, or would be likely to, prejudice international relations between the United Kingdom and the European Union.

Departmental Conditions of Employment

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many people in his Department earned a salary over £100,000 in each year since 1997.

Derek Twigg: The number of staff, including UK-based civilian staff, staff of trading fund agencies and the armed forces, earning annual basic salary of £100,000 or more is as follows:
	
		
			   Number 
			 1997-98 (1)— 
			 1998-99 (1)— 
			 1999-2000 10-20 
			 2000-01 10-20 
			 2001-02 30-40 
			 2002-03 40-50 
			 2003-04 40-50 
			 2004-05 50-60 
			 2005-06 60-70 
			 2006-07 100-110 
			 (1 )Less than 10  Note: Numbers are shown in tranches to allow for slight differences in the basis for data from different payroll systems

Departmental Correspondence

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what percentage of inquiries received by his Department from the public were responded to within  (a) one week,  (b) 14 days,  (c) 28 days,  (d) two months and  (e) three months; and in what percentage of cases it took (i) over three months and (ii) over one year to respond.

Derek Twigg: The Ministry of Defence has only been able to record this information since 12 September 2006 when a new database was introduced. However, figures are only available for 60 per cent. of correspondence received and only for correspondence answered within 20 working days. The figures below are for correspondence received between 12 September 2006 and 31 October 2007.
	41 per cent. answered substantively within five working days;
	59 per cent. answered substantively within 10 working days;
	85 per cent. answered substantively within 20 working days.
	The MOD undertakes to answer all correspondence within 15 working days and 80 per cent. was answered substantively within that target.
	The Cabinet Office, on an annual basis, publishes a report to Parliament on the performance of Departments in replying to Members/Peers correspondence. The Report for 2006 was published by way of a written ministerial statement on 28 March 2007,  Official Report, column 101WS. Information for 2007 will be published as soon as it is ready after the end of the calendar year.

Departmental Health Insurance

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many officials in  (a) his Department and  (b) each of its agencies have private health insurance provided as part of their employment package.

Derek Twigg: None. Private medical insurance does not form any part of the remuneration package offered by the Ministry of Defence or its agencies.

Departmental Information

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  how many reports have been made to his Department's nominated officers under paragraph 16 of the revised civil service code since its publication on 6 June 2006;
	(2)  how many allegations of victimisation for whistleblowing have been reported to his Department by departmental staff since 6 June 2006;
	(3) when his Department's whistleblowing procedures were reviewed to reflect the provisions in the revised civil service code.

Derek Twigg: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my hon. Friend the Cabinet Office Minister for the East Midlands on 19 November 2007,  Official Report, columns 596-97W.

Departmental Land

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what land surplus to his Department's requirements it is  (a) selling,  (b) leasing and  (c) intending to (i) sell and (ii) lease; and what the size and name of each relevant site is.

Derek Twigg: A list detailing surplus sites throughout the UK that the Department is either presently selling, or intending to sell in the future, is available in the Library of the House. The list was last updated in August 2007.

Exservicemen: Military Decorations

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many veterans resident in Gloucestershire have applied for the Veterans badge.

Derek Twigg: The Service Personnel and Veterans Agency records have identified that a total of 4,128 veterans lapel badges have been issued to residents who have included Gloucestershire in their address.

Hercules Aircraft

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many of the Hercules fleet have been fitted with explosive suppressant foam; and if he will make a statement.

Bob Ainsworth: All Hercules aircraft that are routinely deployed on operations in Iraq and Afghanistan are now fitted with explosion suppressant foam.
	I do not intend to give regular updates on progress with this programme as to do so would ultimately reveal the total number of Hercules aircraft equipped with this capability and this information would, or would be likely to, prejudice the security of the UK armed forces.

Iraq: Defence Equipment

David Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent assessment he has made of the availability of reconnaissance equipment for operations in  (a) Iraq and  (b) Afghanistan.

Bob Ainsworth: The provision of intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition and reconnaissance equipment is regularly and routinely assessed by the permanent joint headquarters in liaison with commanders in theatre. There are sufficient assets available for our current commitments. As the operational environment continues to evolve we make adjustments where necessary, including through the urgent operational requirements process. I am withholding any further information as its disclosure would, or would be likely to prejudice the capability, effectiveness or security of the armed forces.

Military Aircraft

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many (a) aircraft, broken down by type and (b) tanks were withdrawn from service in each year since 1997.

Bob Ainsworth: The following table provides details of the numbers of main battle tanks withdrawn from service with the armed forces in each year since 1997:
	
		
			  Equipment  1997  1998  1999  2000  2001  2002  2003  2004  2005  2006  2007 
			 [Challenger 1 (CR1 MBT) 0 0 14 74 90 88 96 53 8 3 0 
			 Challenger 2 (CR 2MBT) 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 (1)40 0 
			 (1) 20 CR2 MBT are being used as a source of spares. A further 20 remain in storage pending a disposal decision 
		
	
	I will write to the hon. Member with the corresponding information for aircraft and place a copy of my letter in the Library of the House.

Military Bases: Colchester

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he expects to hand  (a) the former Garrison Church,  (b) the former Garrison Theatre and  (c) the Victorian Gymnasium over to the developers of the Colchester Garrison site.

Derek Twigg: The former Garrison Church is expected to be handed over to the developers of the Colchester Garrison site on 3 December 2007. The Garrison Theatre, part of Goojerat Barracks, may be handed over at any time after 28 December 2007, in accordance with the contract. The Victorian Gymnasium has already been passed to the developer, subject to a lease back arrangement, pending the provision of new facilities under the terms of the Private Finance Initiative, when the old Gymnasium will no longer be required. The new facilities are expected to be completed by mid 2008.

Patrol Craft

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  what agreement has been reached between his Department and Vosper Thorneycroft (UK) Ltd. to supply three river class offshore patrol vessels; and when the lease will end;
	(2)  what steps he plans to take at the end of the lease period for the river class offshore patrol vessels; and if he will make a statement.

Bob Ainsworth: The lease arrangement for the three river class offshore patrol vessels currently in place with the VT Group PLC (formerly Vosper Thorneycroft (UK) Ltd.), was let in 2003 for an initial period of five years, with an option to extend for a further five years. The decision was made in December 2006 to exercise this option and the lease arrangement will now expire in 2013. While arrangements for the provision of vessels beyond 2013 will be dependent on the continuing requirement to provide UK Fishery Protection on behalf of DEFRA, contract arrangements would be subject to defence competition policy.

Puma Helicopters

Paul Keetch: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence on what date the RAF Puma helicopter, lost in Iraq on 20 November, first entered service.

Bob Ainsworth: holding answer 26 November 2007
	The RAF Puma helicopter ZA938 lost in Iraq on 20 November 2007 entered service on 4 February 1981. The safety record of the Puma has been good, and is comparable with other helicopters operated by the MOD.

TREASURY

HM Revenue and Customs

Jeremy Wright: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the performance of HM Revenue and Customs over the last two years

Jane Kennedy: The latest assessments of all Departments' PSA targets are published on the Treasury website.
	HMRC's departmental report in May 2007 showed that 17 of the 23 performance measures underpinning their PSA targets have shown improvement since April 2005.

HM Revenue and Customs

Stephen Hammond: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the performance of HM Revenue and Customs over the last two years.

Jane Kennedy: I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Rugby (Jeremy Wright) (UIN 169075) earlier today.

HM Revenue and Customs

Jessica Morden: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what progress has been made in the HM Revenue and Customs work force change programme in Newport; and if he will make a statement.

Jane Kennedy: HM Revenues Customs consulted widely earlier this year on its initial proposals for reducing its estate in the Cardiff urban centre—Cardiff, Newport and Pontypridd—to match future business requirements. Detailed feasibility work is being carried out taking account of all the consultation feedback received from staff, unions, hon. Members, Assembly members and local authorities. HMRC hopes to announce decisions early next year.

HM Revenue and Customs

Stephen Crabb: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the performance of HM Revenue and Customs over the last two years.

Jane Kennedy: I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Rugby and Kenilworth (Jeremy Wright) (UIN 169075) earlier today.

Carbon-neutral Operations

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans he has to make the operations of his Department carbon neutral.

Angela Eagle: The Treasury is committed to meeting the Government's target to become carbon neutral by 2012, and annually publishes its strategy for reducing its environmental impact.
	The Department has reduced carbon emissions from its office estate by 19.5 per cent. since 1999-2000, sources all electricity from renewable sources, and off-sets departmental air travel.
	The Treasury will continue to take action to reduce emissions. Opportunities to offset emissions will be explored once levels have been reduced as much as possible

Northern Rock: Debts

John Greenway: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the value is of subordinated debt owed by Northern Rock to the Exchequer; and if he will make a statement.

Kitty Ussher: The value of subordinated debt owed is a matter for Northern Rock and the Bank of England. We would not comment on any lending from the Bank of England.

International Financial Markets

Mark Lazarowicz: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent discussions he has with his international counterparts on the performance of international financial markets.

Kitty Ussher: The Chancellor regularly meets with his international counterparts to discuss a range of topical issues. More recently, there has been increased focus on financial market developments. In terms of specific meetings where this issue has been discussed, these have included the G7 and G20 Finance Ministers meetings on 19 October and 17-18 November respectively, as well as the meetings of European Finance Ministers in September and October. The Chancellor has also taken part in a range of bilateral meetings with his international counterparts where financial market developments have been discussed.

HM Revenue and Customs: Personal Data

Tim Loughton: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what discussions he has had with Ministerial colleagues and children's organisations on the implications for child protection of the recent loss of personal data by HM Revenue and Customs.

Jane Kennedy: The police continue to have no reason to believe that these data have been used for fraudulent purposes or criminal activity. The Government have discussed the broader implications of the incident with a range of organisations, and have considered appropriate steps to manage any risks resulting from the unlikely event that these data fall into the wrong hands.

HM Revenue and Customs: Personal Data

Peter Bone: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer who will bear liability arising from any fraudulent use of the personal data relating to child benefit lost by HM Revenue and Customs.

Jane Kennedy: The police continue to have no reason to believe that these data have found their way into the wrong hands and are not aware of any evidence that they have been used for fraudulent purposes or criminal activity.

Skills Shortages

Phil Wilson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent assessment he has made of the impact on the UK economy of skills shortages.

Angela Eagle: The independent Leitch Review of Skills found no evidence that skill gaps or shortages have held back economic growth, though it did recommend that the Government raise their ambitions on improving the skills of the work force.
	The 2007 National Employer Skills Survey conducted by the Learning and Skills Council highlights falls in the proportion of employers reporting skills gaps and the percentage of all vacancies caused by skills shortages.
	The Government are increasing their investment in improving the skills of the population. Expenditure on higher education and adult skills in England will grow by over £2 billion over the next three years.

QinetiQ

Greg Mulholland: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what discussions he has had with Ministerial colleagues at the Ministry of Defence on the National Audit Office report on the privatisation of QinetiQ.

Andy Burnham: The Government accept the recommendations made in the NAO report, and welcome the work undertaken to highlight lessons that can be applied in the future.

Tax Credits

Tom Brake: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent assessment he has made of the effectiveness of administration of the tax credit system.

Jane Kennedy: I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer I gave the hon. Member for South-West Bedfordshire (Andrew Selous) earlier today.

Child Benefit: Personal Records

Sarah Teather: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many people he estimates will be directly affected by the loss of personal data from the child benefit database in each London borough.

Jane Kennedy: The missing information contains details of all child benefit recipients, including those in London boroughs.
	The acting Chairman of HM Revenue and Customs is writing to all customers affected by the loss of child benefit data.
	Information on families receiving child benefit at 31 August 2006 by local authority and parliamentary constituency is published as part of National Statistics and can be found in tables 2 and 3 of Child Benefit Statistics Geographical Analysis which are available on HMRC's website at:
	http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/stats/child_benefit/geog-aug06.pdf

Child Benefit: Personal Records

David Evennett: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many child benefit claimants in  (a) Bexleyheath and Crayford constituency and  (b) the London borough of Bexley are affected by the loss of bank account details by HM Revenue and Customs.

Jane Kennedy: The missing information contains details of all child benefit recipients, including those in Bexleyheath and Crayford and the London borough of Bexley. The acting chairman of HM Revenue and Customs is writing to all customers affected by the loss of child benefit data.
	Information on families receiving child benefit at 31 August 2006 by local authority and parliamentary constituency is published as part of National Statistics and can be found in tables 2 and 3 of child benefit statistics geographical analysis which are available on HMRC's website at:
	http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/stats/child_benefit/geog-aug06.pdf

Child Benefit: Personal Records

James Paice: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many  (a) children and  (b) adults in (i) East Cambridgeshire, (ii) South Cambridgeshire, (iii) Cambridgeshire and (iv) the South East Cambridgeshire constituency have had their personal details lost in the recent security breach at HM Revenue and Customs.

Jane Kennedy: The missing information contains details of all child benefit recipients, including those in East Cambridgeshire, South Cambridgeshire, Cambridgeshire and the South East Cambridgeshire. The acting chairman of HM Revenue and Customs is writing to all customers affected by the loss of child benefit data.
	Information on families receiving child benefit at 31 August 2006 by local authority and parliamentary constituency is published as part of National Statistics and can be found in tables 2 and 3 of child benefit statistics geographical analysis which are available on HMRC's website at:
	http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/stats/child_benefit/geogaug06.pdf

Corporate Tax

Michael Meacher: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what information his Department holds on the level of corporate tax rates in each of the OECD economies in each year since 1990.

Jane Kennedy: Data on corporate tax rates in OECD countries are publicly available from the OECD tax database, which can be accessed from the OECD's public website at http://www.oecd.org/dataoecd/26/56/33717459.xls. These data are available from 2000.

Council Tax: Rebates

Vincent Cable: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate the cost to the Exchequer of rebating  (a) £100,  (b) £200,  (c) £300 and  (d) £400 in council tax to all households with at least one resident (i) over the age of 65, (ii) under the age of seven and (iii) under the age of 11.

Jane Kennedy: The following table gives the requested information.
	
		
			   Households containing 
			  Council tax rebate (£)  A person aged 65 and over (£ million)  Children aged 7 and under (£ million)  Children aged 11 and under (£ million) 
			 100 300 280 390 
			 200 610 560 780 
			 300 940 850 1,180 
			 400 1,290 1,140 1,580 
			  Notes:  1. Estimated cost for 2007-08, net of council tax benefit expenditure.  2. Estimates for Great Britain.  3. Estimated using HM Treasury tax-benefit simulation model using Family Resources Survey 2005-06 uprated to 2007-08 levels of prices and earnings.  4. Assumes 100 per cent. take-up of benefits.  5. Modelled by reducing original council tax liability before council tax benefit is calculated.

Departmental Documents

Julia Goldsworthy: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what his Department's  (a) policy and  (b) practice is on classifying documents as not for National Audit Office eyes.

Jane Kennedy: There is no such classification.

Departmental Telephone Services

Julia Goldsworthy: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  what information his Department collects and monitors in relation to the telephone contact centres for which his Department is responsible;
	(2)  which telephone contact centres are the responsibility of his Department; what mechanisms are in place to monitor their effectiveness; and how many people have been employed in each of those centres in each year since they were established.

Jane Kennedy: HMRC currently operates 21 contact centres through its centrally managed customer contact directorate. These handle the bulk of inbound customer initiated telephone calls. Additionally there remain a number of helplines and back office telephony services that are operated outside of this contact centre network.
	The effectiveness of the HMRC contact centre operations is monitored through standard departmental management arrangements, through customer satisfaction surveys, through membership of the industry-wide Contact Centre Association and by active participation in the recently established Contact Council, set up following publication of Sir David Varney's report: "Service Transformation: a Better Service For Citizens and Businesses, a Better Deal for Taxpayers" published alongside the 2006 pre-Budget report and available at
	www.hm-treasury.gov.uk.
	With regard to staff numbers, I would refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 26 July 2007,  Official Report , column 1453W.
	HMRC collects and monitors a wide range of information in respect of its contact centre operations including call volumes, caller demand, service levels achieved and customer satisfaction survey results.

Productivity: Public Sector

Stephen Hammond: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what revisions to the definition of public sector productivity there have been since 1997; and how many times this definition has changed since 1997.

Andy Burnham: Productivity is the relationship between inputs and outputs and the measurement of public sector output and therefore of public sector productivity is technically complex. The Atkinson review was set up by the National Statistician to independently review the future development of measures of government output, productivity and associated price indices. Following the Review's report in 2005 the National Statistician set up within the Office of National Statistics (ONS) the UK centre for the Measurement of Government Activity (UKCeMGA) to take forward the review's findings. This work is continuing and regular progress reports are published by UKCeMGA on their website.

Revenue and Customs: ICT

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer for how long the computer system in the HM Revenue and Customs office at Bradford has been out of operation; what the reasons were for the failure of the system; and what steps he is taking to ensure that such failures are not repeated.

Jane Kennedy: According to our records, the computer system in the HM Revenue and Customs office in Bradford is not out of operation.

Revenue and Customs: Prosecutions

David Gauke: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many criminal prosecutions were brought against HM Revenue and Customs staff for matters relating to their employment in the last year for which figures are available.

Jane Kennedy: HM Revenue and Customs currently has around 87,000 staff. In the last financial year commencing 1 April 2006 and ending 31 March 2007, 15 criminal prosecutions were completed against HM Revenue and Customs staff for matters relating to their employment.

Tax Allowances: Agriculture

Mark Hoban: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what value of roll-over relief was claimed in respect of gains made on agricultural land in the latest year for which figures are available.

Jane Kennedy: The information requested is not available

Taxation: Domicil

Michael Meacher: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the number of non-domicile tax status personnel currently associated with the UK for at least part of the year; how many have incomes of  (a) less than £100,000,  (b) £100 to 500,000,  (c) £500,000 to £1 million,  (d) £1 to 5 million,  (e) £5 to 20 million,  (f) £20 to 50 million,  (g) £50 to 100 million and  (h) in excess of £100 million; and what revenue would be raised if a tax were applied of (i) 40 per cent. to each category below £1 million, (ii) 50 per cent. to each category between £1 million and £5 million and (iii) 60 per cent. on each category above £5 million.

Jane Kennedy: holding answer 20 November 2007
	Information on how long non-domiciled individuals are present in the UK within a particular year is not available.
	Information is only available on the numbers of individuals indicating non-domicile status on their self assessment (SA) returns. The last full year's SA data relate to 2004-05, in which there were 115,000 indicating non-domicile status. HMRC's live systems show the latest figure (as at August 2007) for 2005-06 is 114,000 individuals.
	Information on worldwide incomes for non-domiciles is not available. A breakdown by UK taxable income of the individuals who indicated non-domicile status through SA tax returns in 2005-06 is as follows (data as at April 2007).
	
		
			  Total taxable income (lower limit)  Numbers indicating non-domicile status 
			 £0 84,000 
			 £100,000 23,000 
			 £500,000 3,000 
			 £1,000,000 1,000 
			 £5,000,000 100 
			 All 111,000 
			  Note: This total number is smaller than reported above as more returns were processed between April and August 2007. Income bands above £5 million have been grouped together to protect tax payer confidentiality. 
		
	
	The total UK tax liability of those indicating non-domicile status in 2005-06 (as at April 2007) was £3.9 billion. Applying tax rates of (i) 40 per cent. to individuals with less than £1 million UK taxable income, (ii) 50 per cent. to individuals with between £1 million and £5 million UK taxable income and (iii) 60 per cent. to individuals with £5 million taxable income or more in 2005-06 would have raised around £6.3 billion, i.e. an additional £2.4 billion. This is a theoretical maximum, not taking into account personal allowances, other tax rates or behavioural effects, such as rearranging tax affairs to take more income out of UK tax, reducing hours worked or leaving the UK altogether.

Taxation: Domicil

Vincent Cable: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  if he will estimate the average earnings of those registered as non-domiciled in the UK;
	(2)  how many and what proportion of non-domiciles for taxation purposes have been resident in the UK for more than 10 years.

Jane Kennedy: Information is only available for individuals indicating non-domicile status on their self assessment (SA) returns. Income data for such individuals are only available annually. For 2005-06 these data (as at April 2007) included 111,000 individuals, of whom 65,000 declared UK employment income averaging approximately £140,000. In addition, 13,000 declared foreign source employment income averaging approximately £60,000.
	Based on a small scale sampling exercise in 2004 covering cases processed by HMRC expatriate and complex personal return teams, it has been estimated that around 10,000 individuals indicating non-domicile status per year have been resident in the UK for more than 10 years. This represents approximately 9 per cent. of the 115,000 individuals indicating non-domicile status in 2004-05, the last full year of data.

VAT: Game Birds

Mike Hancock: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  how much unpaid VAT was  (a) detected and  (b) reclaimed by the HM Revenue and Customs Game Shooting Industry National Pilot Project;
	(2)  how much unpaid income tax has been recovered through the HM Revenue and Customs Game Shooting Industry National Pilot Project;
	(3)  what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the HM Revenue and Customs Game Shooting Industry National Pilot Project.

Jane Kennedy: The shoot project is ongoing. To date VAT assessments have been issued for £6 million. This figure is expected to double within the lifetime of the project.
	The project began in HM Customs and Excise as a VAT initiative. However, HMRC always seeks to take a cross tax view of initiatives when possible. Earlier this year the VAT results then available were reviewed for signs of any additional income tax liability. Risks of underpaid income tax have only been identified in a small proportion of the cases reviewed and as yet no income tax has been recovered
	No assessment of the effectiveness of the shoot project has been made.

Welfare Tax Credits

David Lidington: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of 12 November 2007,  Official Report, column 25W, on welfare tax credits, how many full-time equivalent staff at HM Customs and Revenue are working to complete the review of tax credits awards from 2003 to 2006.

Jane Kennedy: holding answer 20 November 2007
	Around 130 Tax Credit Office staff are currently working directly on the cases arising from this exercise. As the review progresses, the Tax Credit Office will assign resources so that these awards are put on a sound footing as soon as is practicable. HMRC remain committed to improving the services they provide to tax credits customers.

Welfare Tax Credits

David Lidington: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of 12 November 2007,  Official Report, column 25W, on welfare tax credits, how many tax credits claimants are subject to reduced payments as a consequence of alleged over payments from 2003 to 2006 which are now the subject of the review by HM Customs and Revenue.

Jane Kennedy: holding answer 20 November 2007
	The number of households whose current tax credits awards are reduced to recover an overpayment that is the subject of this review is not readily available, and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
	The awards which are being reviewed, however, do accurately reflect the households' circumstances at the time the original decision was made. The process by which HM Revenue and Customs took the relevant new information into account was not correct. The review will simply put the affected awards on the proper administrative footing, and the majority of those affected by the review will not see any impact on their tax credits award.

Welfare Tax Credits: EC Nationals

Philip Hammond: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent estimate he has made of the amount of  (a) working tax credit and  (b) child tax credit overpaid to A8 nationals working in the UK in the last 12 months.

Jane Kennedy: The information requested is not available.

Welfare Tax Credits: Overpayments

Philip Hammond: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer from how many declared bankrupts the Tax Credit Office has reclaimed tax credit overpayments.

Jane Kennedy: Since May 2004 HM Revenue and Customs is aware of around 1,500 cases where claimants have notified the Department that they are bankrupt.
	Information is not available for the number of claimants who have notified the Department they are bankrupt but are continuing to pay back an overpayment of tax credits.
	If any claimant disputes HMRC's decision to recover an overpayment from them, then HMRC will suspend the recovery of the overpaid tax credits while the reasons for the dispute are looked into.

PRIME MINISTER

Anti-Semitism

David Amess: To ask the Prime Minister for what reasons question 167389 on the cross-Government working group on anti-semitism, was transferred to the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government; what criteria he uses when deciding to transfer a question; how many questions tabled to him have been transferred to other Government Ministers since June 2007; and if he will make a statement.

Gordon Brown: Questions are answered by the responsible Minister. Details of transfers can be found in the daily 'Questions Book', copies of which are available in the Vote Office.

Departmental Accountability

Norman Baker: To ask the Prime Minister pursuant to the answers of 19 November 2007,  Official Report, columns 576-77W, on departmental accountability, for what reasons he did not provide the information requested in the questions tabled.

Gordon Brown: I have nothing further to add to the answer I gave the hon. Member on 19 November 2007,  Official Report, columns 576-77W.

Diego Garcia: USA

Norman Baker: To ask the Prime Minister pursuant to the answer of 19 November 2007,  Official Report, column 577W, on Diego Garcia: USA, for what reasons he did not state whether he would ensure a Parliamentary debate before any decision is taken on the use of Diego Garcia by the US Administration.

Gordon Brown: I have nothing further to add to the answer I gave the hon. Member on 19 November 2007,  Official Report, column 577W.

Joint Intelligence Committee

Harry Cohen: To ask the Prime Minister if he will make it his policy to publish the names of attenders of Joint Intelligence Committee meetings.

Gordon Brown: Details of the membership of the Joint Intelligence Committee can be found on the UK Intelligence Community Online website at:
	http://www.intelligence.gov.uk/central_intelligence_machinery/joint_intelligence_ committee.aspx.
	A copy of this webpage has been placed in the Library of the House.

Ministerial Changes: Ministry of Defence

Mark Hoban: To ask the Prime Minister what additional cost to the public purse there will be from the appointment of Baroness Taylor of Bolton to replace Lord Drayson as Minister of State for Defence Equipment and Support; and if he will make a statement.

Gordon Brown: Ministerial salaries are paid in accordance with the Ministerial and Other Salaries Act 1975. The Act limits the number of ministerial salaries to 109.

NHS

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Prime Minister if he will place in the Library a copy of the  (a) agenda,  (b) minutes and  (c) action points of the meeting held by his predecessor on 17 October 2006 with strategic health authority chief executives.

Gordon Brown: Details of this meeting can be found on the Number 10 website at
	http://pm.gov.uk/output/Page10227.asp.
	A copy of this webpage has been placed in the Library of the House.

Opinion Leader Research

Theresa May: To ask the Prime Minister how many contracts were awarded by his Office to Opinion Leader Research in each year since 1997; and what was  (a) the title and purpose,  (b) the cost to the public purse and  (c) the dates of (i) tender, (ii) award, (iii) operation and (iv) completion and report to the Department in each case.

Gordon Brown: I refer the right hon. Member to the answer given to her by my right hon. Friend the Minister for the Cabinet Office on 26 November 2007,  Official Report, column 132W.

Security Guards: Illegal Immigrants

David Gauke: To ask the Prime Minister when he was first informed that illegal migrant workers had been given clearance to work in sensitive security posts.

Gordon Brown: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave the right hon. Member for Haltemprice and Howden (David Davis) on 19 November 2007,  Official Report, column 578W.

Terrorism

Shailesh Vara: To ask the Prime Minister 
	(1)  on what dates he has consulted the  (a) Director of Public Prosecutions,  (b) the Attorney-General and  (c) the Solicitor-General on Government proposals to increase the number of days a suspect may be held under anti-terror legislation since June 2007;
	(2)  when he last met the Director of Public Prosecutions to discuss counter-terrorism policy.

Gordon Brown: I have regular meetings and discussions with ministerial colleagues and others on a wide range of subjects.

Trade Unions

Shailesh Vara: To ask the Prime Minister how many meetings he has had with trades union leaders since 27 June; which leaders he met; when and where such meetings took place; and if he will make a statement.

Gordon Brown: My officials and I have meetings with a wide range of organisations and individuals on a range of subjects.

Uganda: Human Rights

David Drew: To ask the Prime Minister what representations he made to President Museveni during the Commonwealth Heads of State Conference on  (a) the human rights situation in Uganda and  (b) the peace talks with the Lord's Resistance Army.

Gordon Brown: I discussed a wide range of issues with President Museveni during the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Uganda including the UK Government's support of the Juba peace talks.

World Cup: Football

Don Foster: To ask the Prime Minister pursuant to the answer of 13 November 2007,  Official Report, column 232W, on World Cup, what the dates were of meetings since 28 June held between him or officials working on his behalf and the Football Association at which the appointment of the Government's World Cup ambassador was discussed.

Gordon Brown: I have nothing further to add to the answer I gave the hon. Member on 13 November 2007,  Official Report, column 232W.

Written Questions

Norman Baker: To ask the Prime Minister pursuant to the answers of 19 November 2007,  Official Report, column 577W, on  (a) mass media and  (b) departmental official engagements, for what reasons he did not provide the information requested in the questions.

Gordon Brown: I have nothing further to add to the answer I gave the hon. Member on 19 November 2007,  Official Report, column 577W.

PUBLIC ACCOUNTS COMMISSION

Government Departments: Data Protection

Paul Burstow: To ask the Chairman of the Public Accounts Commission what assessment has been made of the efficacy of data protection practice to safeguard against the unauthorised release of data which have been adopted by Government departments and agencies when subject to audit by the National Audit Office.

Alan Williams: This is not a matter for the Commission. The Comptroller and Auditor General has, by statute, complete discretion in the discharge of his functions, and the Commission therefore does not intervene in the day to day running of the National Audit Office. The hon. Member may wish to write to the Comptroller and Auditor General.

BUSINESS, ENTERPRISE AND REGULATORY REFORM

Alternative Energy: Standards

Hugo Swire: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what the Government's capacity targets are for the commercial development of  (a) wave energy and  (b) tidal energy in UK waters by (i) 2012, (ii) 2020 and (iii) 2030.

Malcolm Wicks: The Government have not set capacity targets for individual technologies but provide a range of support measures to facilitate the development of wave and tidal energy.
	These include £35 million already committed for innovative industry-led technology development under the Technology Strategy Board's technology programme and £50 million under BERR's marine renewables deployment fund to support the first larger-scale demonstration projects.
	We have consulted on banding the RO so as to provide greater levels of support to these emerging renewable technologies.

Defence: Exports

Bernard Jenkin: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what the value was of defence exports in each of the last five years for which full year data are available; and if he will provide a table showing  (a) the UK share of the global defence exports market in each year and  (b) the split by (i) number and (ii) value of contracts in sterling between government-to-government contracts or agreements and non-government-to-government contracts or agreements.

Bob Ainsworth: holding answer 26 November 2007
	I have been asked to reply.
	The following table shows our estimate of the share of the global defence market for which UK exports account in the years 2002 to 2006.
	
		
			   UK market share  (Percentage) 
			 2002 22 
			 2003 22 
			 2004 20 
			 2005 18 
			 2006 18 
		
	
	The value of orders won by UK industry is shown in UK Defence Statistics 2007, Table 1.14. A copy of which is available in the Library of the House and also online at:
	http://www.dasa.mod.uk/natstats/ukds/2007/cl/table114.html
	The other information is not held in the format requested. We estimate, however, that around two-fifths of the value of UK defence exports in the years 2002 to 2006 relates to business under government-to-government agreements. During these years three such agreements have contributed to this overall share of UK exports.

Fuel Poverty

David Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform when he plans to publish the Annual Progress Report for 2007 on the UK Fuel Poverty Strategy.

Malcolm Wicks: holding answer 21 November 2007
	 The Government will publish shortly their annual progress report on fuel poverty covering 2005 which will include statistics of households in fuel poverty in England in 2005.

Microgeneration

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what percentage of the UK's electricity is supplied from sources using microgeneration technologies; and if he will make a statement.

Malcolm Wicks: In 2006, five gigawatts of installed capacity of renewables produced 4.5 per cent. of electricity generated in the United Kingdom. We estimate that there are approximately 100,000 microgeneration installations in the United Kingdom. However specific figures for the amount of electricity generated by microgeneration are not available.

Natural Gas: Distribution

Paddy Tipping: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what recent estimate he has made of the number of households with access to mains gas supply.

Malcolm Wicks: holding answer 27 November 2007
	My Department does not hold information about the number of households that have access to mains gas, whether or not they take it up. Ofgem's Domestic Retail Market Report (June 2007) states that there are 21.5 million domestic gas customer accounts in Great Britain.

Power Stations

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what research his Department has undertaken on the capacity of existing power station sites in the UK to accommodate  (a) nuclear new build and  (b) renewable technologies.

Malcolm Wicks: As part of the Government's preparations for the 2006 Energy Review report, the Department commissioned Jackson Consulting to produce a discussion paper looking at the issues that would be relevant to the siting of any new nuclear power stations. The paper included a preliminary assessment of the suitability of existing nuclear power station sites for any new build and also included the suggestion that opportunities for new build might exist at other power station sites. The paper, which represents the views of the authors Jackson Consulting alone, was published by the Department on its website on 23 May 2007 as a background paper to the Government's consultation on the future of nuclear power.
	The Department is currently considering responses to the consultation on nuclear power. If the Government were to confirm their preliminary view that it would be in the public interest to allow private sector energy companies the option of investing in new nuclear power stations, we have proposed to undertake a strategic siting assessment (SSA), in combination with a strategic environmental assessment, to develop robust, objective and transparent criteria for assessing the suitability of sites for new nuclear power stations.
	On renewables, in July 2006 the Department published on its website a study by IPA and Mitsui Babcock into the economics of co-firing, the ability of existing fossil fuel stations to burn a proportion of biomass to generate electricity.

Renewable Energy: Seas and Oceans

Hugo Swire: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform 
	(1)  if he will modify the operation of the Marine Renewables Development fund  (a) to accommodate the changing needs of British renewable companies and  (b) to develop a marine energy industry in the UK;
	(2)  how much of the Marine Renewables Development Fund has been allocated to date; and to which schemes funds have been allocated.

Malcolm Wicks: The Marine Renewables Deployment Fund (MRDF) provides support for early commercial scale wave and tidal-stream demonstration projects. To date no individual demonstration projects have been supported under the MRDF as progress towards full commercialisation of these technologies has been slower than expected. The MRDF has offered £4.5 million support to the proposed Wave Hub project (at:
	www.wavehub.co.uk)
	and £2 million has been allocated to a programme of environmental research for these technologies.
	The Renewables Advisory Board is currently conducting a review of the marine sector including reasons for the low take-up to date of the MRDF. A final report is expected later this year and we will consider any recommendations carefully.

Wave Power

Hugo Swire: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what assessment he has made of the contribution of wave and tidal energy towards meeting renewable targets; and if he will amend the system of renewable obligation certificates for the renewable energy sector to encourage the development of wave and tidal energy.

Malcolm Wicks: A report by the Carbon Trust 'Future Marine Energy' at:
	www.thecarbontrust.co.uk/Publications/publicationdetail.htm?productid=:CTC601
	estimated that together offshore wave and tidal-steam energy has the potential to meet between 15 per cent. and 20 per cent. of current UK electricity.
	The Government are currently considering the responses to the consultation on our proposals to amend the renewables obligation to provide greater levels of support for emerging technologies including wave and tidal energy.

Wind Power

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how many wind farms there are in  (a) Ribble Valley, ( b) Lancashire and  (c) England.

Malcolm Wicks: holding answer 26 November 2007
	There are no wind farms in the Ribble Valley. However, there are three wind farms in Lancashire and one of these, Caton Moor, is near the Ribble Valley. England has a total of 148 wind farms.

NORTHERN IRELAND

Crimes of Violence: Northern Ireland

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on the level of violent crime in Northern Ireland in each of the last three years.

Paul Goggins: The number of violent crimes recorded by the Police Service of Northern Ireland in the last three years is as follows:
	
		
			   Number of violent crimes 
			 2004-05 32,512 
			 2005-06 34,408 
			 2006-07 35,223 
			 1 April to 30 September 2007 16,313 
		
	
	Violent crime includes offences against the person such as, murder, manslaughter, wounding with intent and GBH with intent. It also includes sexual offences such as, rape and indecent assault on a female, robbery and hijacking.
	The Northern Ireland Policing Plan 2007 to 2010, commits the PSNI to reducing the total number of violent crimes by 2 per cent. by 31 March 2008. Targets are measured against a baseline at 31 March 2007.
	Excellent progress has been made against this target; violent crimes recorded by the police have been reduced by 15.7 per cent. for the first six months of this year, compared with the same period last year.

CULTURE MEDIA AND SPORT

Commonwealth Games: Glasgow

David Marshall: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what lottery funding will be made available for the hosting of the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.

Gerry Sutcliffe: National Lottery grant-making decisions are made independently of Government by the lottery distributing bodies. I understand that Glasgow's Candidate City File for the 2014 Games set out the various revenue streams that were expected and that this did not include any revenue from the lottery.

Commonwealth Games: Glasgow

Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what increase in jobs he expects the 2014 Glasgow Commonwealth Games to bring to Scotland in each year from 2007.

Gerry Sutcliffe: Sport in Scotland, including the 2014 Glasgow Commonwealth Games and its legacy, is the responsibility of the Scottish Executive. We are, however, committed to working with the bid partners to ensure a successful Commonwealth Games in 2014.

Digital Broadcasting

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport 
	(1)  which areas  (a) can receive all digital multiplex signals,  (b) have partial coverage and  (c) are unable to receive any digital multiplex signals via digital terrestrial television in each region;
	(2)  what percentage of each region is covered by each digital broadcasting multiplex signal on  (a) terrestrial,  (b) cable and  (c) satellite broadcasting platforms;
	(3)  what the percentage coverage was of each digital broadcasting multiplex signal in each region broadcasting from each digital platform in each of the last five years.

James Purnell: The matters raised are the responsibility of the Office of Communications (Ofcom), as independent regulator for the communications sector. Accordingly, I have asked the chief executive of Ofcom to reply directly to the hon. Member. Copies of the chief executive's letter will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.

Football: Tickets

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what recent representations he has received about the pricing regime of Premier League football tickets for the 2007-08 season; and if he will make a statement.

Gerry Sutcliffe: I have received correspondence regarding ticket pricing from a wide number of stakeholders including supporters groups, clubs and fans.
	Ticket pricing is a matter for the football authorities and it would not be right for Government to seek to intervene in these issues directly.
	However, there is a clear role for Government to play in acting as a 'critical friend' to football, and in seeking to facilitate useful debates around areas of concern across all levels of sport.
	The Government are committed to ensuring that all football clubs are run in the best possible way and that they remain a focal point of their local community and I will continue to highlight the concerns of supporters in my regular discussion with the football authorities.

OLYMPICS

Official Gifts

Tom Brake: To ask the Minister for the Olympics if she will place in the Library a list of gifts and hospitality given by members of the Olympic Delivery Authority; and if she will make a statement.

Tessa Jowell: The Olympic Delivery Authority intends to publish its gifts and hospitality register early next year.

Olympic Delivery Authority: Business Interests

Don Foster: To ask the Minister for the Olympics if she will place in the Library the latest copy of the Olympic Delivery Authority's register of  (a) interests and  (b) gifts and hospitality.

Tessa Jowell: holding answer 26 November 2007
	The Olympic Delivery Authority intends to publish its first  (a) register of Board members' interests, and  (b) its gifts and hospitality register, early next year.

TRANSPORT

Bus Services: Concessions

Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps she is taking to ensure that buses in all areas have smart-card readers when smart cards for nation-wide pensioners travel concessions are introduced.

Rosie Winterton: The Government have no immediate plans to fund the roll-out of smart readers on buses. It would not be practical to require smart readers to be installed in buses in all areas in time for April 2008 when the national bus concession is introduced.
	Operators and local authorities are free to work together to implement full smart ticketing and we fully support such action. There are substantial advantages to bus operators and local authorities in going 'smart'—reduced fraud and much better data on how many concessionary journeys are being made, which will help with reimbursement arrangements.

Crossrail Line

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether it is planned that a single operator will run all passenger trains on Crossrail tracks.

Tom Harris: I refer the hon. Member to section 8, 'Crossrail Operations', of the Heads of Terms for Crossrail that has been agreed between the Department for Transport and Transport for London, which was placed in the House Library by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Transport on 26 November and which states:
	"Agreement has not yet been reached as to whether there will be a single Crossrail TOC [Train Operating Company] or more than one Crossrail TOC"

Crossrail Line: Paddington Station

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what discussions she has had on the interaction of new Crossrail services and existing commuter rail links running into Paddington.

Tom Harris: The Crossrail services will subsume inner suburban services, and there will be complementary longer distance commuter services. Stops by express trains are not affected. There has been consultation by a variety of means, including: during project development; as part of the hybrid bill process; through the Crossrail Railway Stakeholders' Forum that I chair and by the Office of Rail Regulation on the application for access rights for Crossrail services contained in an access option.

Emergency Services: Motorways

Helen Southworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate she has made of the number of occasions on which emergency vehicles have used the hard shoulder for access to an incident on each of the motorways in the North West Region in the last 12 months.

Tom Harris: The Department for Transport does not hold records in relation to the number of occasions that vehicles, belonging to the Emergency Services, have used the motorway hard-shoulder in the North West for access to incidents.

Gatwick Express

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what involvement her Department has had in the alteration of timetables and services on the Gatwick Express over the last 12 months.

Tom Harris: There have been no alterations to Gatwick Express services during the last 12 months. The department has, however, agreed a Deed of Amendment to the Southern franchise, which, among other things, will provide for the extension of some morning and evening peak Gatwick Express services from and to Brighton. These changes are scheduled for introduction in December 2008.

Railways: Fares

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what conclusions she has reached following her Department's review of unregulated rail fares; and if she will make a statement.

Tom Harris: The Department has not undertaken a formal review of unregulated fares. Unregulated fares are a matter for train operators. The Department continues to listen to the representations of Passenger Focus and has invited them to take a greater role in commenting on the specification of future franchises.

Railways: Safety Measures

Martin Horwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport with reference to the answer of 20 December 2005,  Official Report, column 2932W, when she expects the Rail Safety Standards Board research into passenger emergency evacuation procedures to be published.

Tom Harris: The Rail Safety and Standards Board published its research on 31 July 2007. The findings are available on the RSSB website www.rssb.co.uk.

Railways: Safety Measures

Martin Horwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether any people have died as a result of using emergency egress windows as a means of escape following a train crash.

Tom Harris: The Office of Rail Regulation (ORR) is unaware of any people having died as a result of using designated emergency egress windows as a means of escape following a train crash.

Road Traffic: Schools

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what proportion of her Department's spending has been devoted to measures to reduce the amount of traffic generated by the school run in each of the last five years.

Rosie Winterton: The development of measures to reduce the amount of traffic generated by the school run does not fall neatly into boxes that enable us to say what proportion of the Department's spending has been devoted to these in each of the last five years. This is because, in addition to the expenditure on centrally managed programmes, a considerable amount of expenditure is committed by local highway authorities that receive funding from the Department through the Local Transport Plan (LTP) settlement and determine their own priorities.
	The Mayor of London also receives funding from the Department via a total transport grant through Transport for London (TfL) and bus operators receive Bus Service Operators Grant (BSOG) which makes bus services cheaper. The DfT integrated block element of the LTP settlement was worth £547 million in 2006-07, while TfL received £2.4 billion and bus service operators received £380 million in BSOG.
	In addition we can, however, identify the amount of funding allocated for regional and local authority school travel advisers through the "Travelling to School" project, for 'Links to Schools' and for other initiatives such as 'Bike It' that promote and support cycling to school. (Prior to April 2004, the Department awarded a number of bursaries to local authorities to enable them to employ school travel plan co-ordinators rather than school travel advisers.) The levels of expenditure in each of the last five years are shown as follows:
	
		
			  £ million 
			   Regional and LASTAs  'Links to schools'  Bike it 
			 2002-03 1.935 — — 
			 2003-04 1.935 — — 
			 2004-05 3.75 10 — 
			 2005-06 3.75 2 0.3 
			 2006-07 3.75 4.2 0.312 
		
	
	We know that local authorities spent the following amounts of funding received through their LTP settlement on providing 'Safe Routes to School'. The figure for 2006-07 has still to be audited.
	
		
			  £ million 
			   'Safe routes to school' 
			 2002-03 27.737 
			 2003-04 24.33 
			 2004-05 26.319 
			 2005-06 25.398 
			 2006-07 19.457 
		
	
	This provides only a partial picture. Other funding allocated to local authorities through the LTP settlement will have been allocated to measures that will contribute to reducing traffic generated by the school run but they are not designed solely for this purpose. Examples will include other road safety and traffic calming schemes, road maintenance and cycle lanes.

Roads: Repairs and Maintenance

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if she will list each motorway and trunk road building project that has been submitted for the targeted programme of improvement scheme; and which schemes  (a) have been (i) successful and (ii) unsuccessful and  (b) are still being considered.

Tom Harris: The following schemes have been approved for entry to the Targeted Programme of Improvements (TPI), since its inception. The six schemes shown as "suspended" were not prioritised for funding by the regions within their Regional Funding Allocations to 2015-16.
	
		
			  Project name  Open to traffic 
			 A1 Willowburn—Denwick Improvement Yes 
			 A1 (M) Ferrybridge—Hook Moor Yes 
			 A1 (M) Wetherby—Walshford Yes 
			 A2 Bean—Cobham Phase 1 Bean—Pepperhill Yes 
			 A2 Bean—Cobham Phase 2 Pepperhill—Cobham Under construction 
			 A2/A282 Dartford Improvement Under construction 
			 A5 Nesscliffe Bypass Yes 
			 A5 Weeford—Fazeley Improvement Yes 
			 A6 Great Glen Bypass Yes 
			 A6 Rushden and Higham Ferrers Bypass Yes 
			 A6 Rothwell—Desborough Bypass Yes 
			 A6 Clapham Bypass Yes 
			 A6 Alvaston Improvement Yes 
			 A10 Wadesmill to Colliers End Bypass Yes 
			 A11 Roudham Heath—Attleborough Improvement Yes 
			 A14 Rookery Crossroads GSJ Yes 
			 A21 Lamberhurst Bypass Yes 
			 A23 Coulsdon Inner Relief Road Transferred to TfL 
			 A27 Polegate Bypass Yes 
			 A34 Chieveley/M4 Jet 13 Improvement Yes 
			 A41 Aston Clinton Bypass Yes 
			 A43 Silverstone Bypass (A43 M40—B4031 Dualling) Yes 
			 A43 Whitfield Turn—Brackley Hatch Improvement (A43 M40—B4031 Dualling) Yes 
			 A43 M40—B4031 Dualling Yes 
			 A46 Newark—Lincoln Improvement Yes 
			 A63 Selby Bypass Yes 
			 A66 Stainburn and Great Clifton Bypass Yes 
			 A120 Stansted to Braintree Improvement Yes 
			 A249 Iwade—Queenborough Improvement (DBFO) Yes 
			 A303 Stonehenge Under review 
			 A421 Great Barford Bypass Yes 
			 A500 City Road and Stoke Junction Improvement Yes 
			 A500 Basford, Hough, Shavington Bypass Yes 
			 A650 Bingley Relief Road Yes 
			 A1033 Hedon Road Improvement Yes 
			 M25J12-15 Widening Yes 
			 M60 J5-8 Widening Yes 
			 A11 Attleborough Bypass Yes 
			 A11 Fiveways—Thetford Improvement In preparation 
			 A47 Thorney Bypass Yes 
			 M6 Carlisle to Guardsmill Extension Under construction 
			 A63 Melton Grade Separated Junction Yes 
			 A14 Haughley New St—Stowmarket Improvement Under construction 
			 A3 Hindhead Improvement Under construction 
			 A38 Dobwalls Bypass Under construction 
			 A595 Parton—Lillyhall Improvement Under construction 
			 A1 Peterborough—Blyth GSJ Under construction 
			 M62 Junction 6 Improvement Under construction 
			 A46 Newark—Widmerpool Improvement In preparation 
			 A30 Bodmin Indian Queens Improvement Yes 
			 A483 Pant—Llanymynech Bypass Suspended 
			 A5117/A550 Deeside Park Junctions Improvement Under construction 
			 A419 Blunsdon Bypass Under construction 
			 A66 Temple Sowerby Bypass and Imp at Winderwath Yes 
			 A1 Dishforth to Leeming Improvement (A1 Dishforth to Barton) In preparation 
			 A1 Bramham—Wetherby (Including Wetherby BP) Under construction 
			 A1 Leeming to Barton Improvement (A1 Dishforth to Barton) In preparation 
			 A64 Rillington Bypass Suspended 
			 M40/A404 Handy Cross Junction Improvement Yes 
			 A47 Blofield to North Burlingham Dualling In preparation 
			 A66 Greta Bridge to Stephen Bank Improvement Yes 
			 A66 Carkin Moor to Scotch Corner Improvement Yes 
			 A428 Caxton Common to Hardwick Improvement Yes 
			 A30/A382 Merrymeet Junction Yes 
			 A66 Long Newton Junction Under construction 
			 A1 Stannington Junction Yes 
			 A69 Haydon Bridge Bypass Under construction 
			 A419 Commonhead Junction Yes 
			 M4 Junction 18 Eastbound Diverge Yes 
			 M5 Junctions 17—18a Northbound Climbing Lane (Hallen Hill) Yes 
			 M5 Junctions 19-20 Southbound Climbing Lane (Naish Hill) Yes 
			 M5 Junctions 19-20 Northbound Climbing Lane (Tickenham Hill) Yes 
			 M1 J19/M6 Improvement In preparation 
			 A14 Ellington—Fen Ditton Improvement In preparation 
			 A57/A628 Mottram in Longdendale, Hollingworth and Tintwistle BP In preparation 
			 A45/A46 Tollbar End Improvement In preparation 
			 M1 Junction 6a to 10 Widening Under construction 
			 M1 Junction 10 to 13 Widening In preparation 
			 A1 Morpeth to Felton Dualling Suspended 
			 A1 Adderstone to Belford Dualling Suspended 
			 A1/A19/A1068 Seaton Burn Junction Improvement In preparation 
			 A19/A184 Testos Grade Separated Junction In preparation 
			 A505 Dunstable Northern Bypass (A5 to M1 Link) In preparation 
			 A421 Bedford to M1 Junction 13 In preparation 
			 A21 Tonbridge to Pembury Dualling In preparation 
			 M40 Junction 15 (Longbridge Roundabout) In preparation 
			 A64 Colton Lane GSJ Yes 
			 A590 High and Low Newton Bypass Under construction 
			 M20 Junction 10A In preparation 
			 A30 Garland Cross to Chiverton Cross Suspended 
			 A30 Temple to Higher Carblake Improvement Suspended 
			 A27 Southerham to Beddingham Improvement Under construction 
			 M1 J21-30 (Phase 1) Under construction 
			 M1 J21-30 (Phase2) In preparation 
			 M25 J1b-3 Widening (Section 3) Under construction 
			 M25 J5-7 Widening (Section 2) In preparation 
			 M25 J16-23 Widening (Section 1) In preparation 
			 M25 J23-27 Widening (Section 5) In preparation 
			 M25 J27-30 Widening (Section 4) In preparation 
			 A21 Kippings Cross to Lamberhurst Improvements In preparation 
			 A23 Handcross to Warninglid Widening In preparation 
			 A453 Widening (M1 J24 to A52 Nottingham) In preparation 
			 M25 Junction 28/A12 Brook Street Junction Improvement Under construction 
			 M27 J11-J12 Climbing Lanes In preparation 
			 M27 J3 To J4 Widening In preparation 
			 M1 J30 to J31 Improvement In preparation 
			 M1 J31 to J32 Widening Under construction 
			 M1 J32 to J34 South Improvement In preparation 
			 M1 J34 North to J37 Improvement In preparation 
			 M1 J37 to J39 Improvement In preparation 
			 M1 J39 to J42 Improvement In preparation 
			 M1 J31-32 N/B Collector/Distributor In preparation 
			 M62 J25 to J27 Improvement In preparation 
			 M62 J27 to Jct 28 Improvement In preparation 
		
	
	The Highways Agency carries out a wide range of investigations to establish whether or not improvement schemes are required to address particular issues and problems on the trunk road network. A complete list of schemes which have been considered since the start of the Targeted Programme of Improvements could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	A number of schemes are currently being prepared and will be submitted in due course for a decision on whether they should be added to the roads programme. However, no applications are currently being considered.

Severn Bridge: Tolls

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate she has made of the effects on the public purse of costs arising from removing the tolls from the two Severn bridges; and if she will make a statement.

Rosie Winterton: No estimate has been made of the effects on the public purse of costs arising from removing the tolls from the two Severn bridges.
	Current legislation allows the concessionaire for the Severn Crossings to charge tolls until a defined amount has been collected from the tolling regime. At that time, the Severn Crossings will revert to the ownership of Government. There are no plans to terminate the concession agreement in advance of this. Current estimates are that ownership of the Crossings will revert to Government in 2016.

Severn Bridge: Tolls

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment she has made of the effect of the Severn Bridge toll arrangements on traffic flows  (a) east and  (b) west on the A48 in Gloucestershire.

Rosie Winterton: No recent assessments have been made by the Highways Agency of the impact of the Severn Bridge toll arrangements on traffic flows eastbound and westbound on the A48 in Gloucestershire.

South West Trains: Rolling Stock

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if she will urge South West Trains to replace the Desiro Class 450 units on the Portsmouth to London services in the interests of passenger comfort.

Tom Harris: I have no plans to do so.
	The introduction of the Class 450s to the Stagecoach South Western Franchise (SSWT) has meant that older trains have been replaced with newer stock. This has led to an increase in overall capacity allowing greater numbers of passengers to have a seat during their journey.

Transport for London: Finance

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the outcomes were of meetings held between her Department and Transport for London as part of the Comprehensive Spending Review about  (a) their future funding needs and  (b) liabilities they may face as a result of Metronet's entry into administration.

Rosie Winterton: As a result of the Comprehensive Spending Review, the Department for Transport has agreed a settlement with TfL through to 2017-18, which reflects the expected increased costs of the PPP going forward and makes provision for costs arising from Metronet's Administration. The agreed levels of funding and borrowing are:
	
		
			  £ million (cash) 
			   TfL grant  TfL borrowing 
			 2007-08 2708 600 
			 2008-09 2785 1250 
			 2009-10 2842 1100 
			 2010-11 3252 300 
			 2011-12 3158 400 
			 2012-13 3305 400 
			 2013-14 3460 300 
			 2014-15 3622 600 
			 2015-16 3720 600 
			 2016-17 3822 600 
			 2017-18 3924 600

Transport: Anniversaries

Robert Goodwill: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if she will take steps to commemorate the 70(th) anniversary of the setting of the world steam record.

Tom Harris: The railway heritage movement has a number of events planned to mark the 70(th) anniversary of the setting of the world speed record for steam traction.

Transport: Environment Protection

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps she is taking to encourage car-sharing clubs.

Rosie Winterton: The Department encourages car sharing both directly, as one of a range of measures (known collectively as 'smarter choices') aimed at helping people travel more sustainably, and indirectly, through encouraging local authorities to include car-based initiatives as part of their local transport strategies.
	The Department also publishes a range of best practice guidance on work and school travel planning that include car share schemes. In 2005, we published "Making Car Sharing and Car Clubs Work" and "Making Smarter Choices Work".
	Government initiatives such as (a) requiring travel plans for new developments, (b) the National Business Travel Network and (c) the Travelling to School project are increasing the number of workplaces and schools with travel plans.
	Car share schemes are being set up nationally by commercial operators, by local authorities for their staff or the wider public and by businesses, schools and other organisations as individual initiatives or as part of a travel plan.

Transport: Expenditure

Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  how much was spent on transport in  (a) England,  (b) London and the South East and  (c) Yorkshire and the Humber in each of the last five years;
	(2)  what projections she has made of public spending on transport what projections in  (a) England,  (b) London and the South East and  (c) Yorkshire and the Humber in each of the next five years.

Rosie Winterton: Figures for identifiable public spending, and spending per head, on transport by region and country are given in the following tables. No projections are made for the next five years on this basis. A regional breakdown of the Department's past spending and future spending plans is produced annually, and published in the Department's Annual Report and in the Public Expenditure Statistical Analyses produced by the Treasury and the Office of National Statistics. These documents are normally published in April or May.
	
		
			  £ million 
			   2001-02  2002-03  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07 
			 Yorkshire and the Humber 696 831 979 964 990 1,096 
			 London 2,363 2,660 4,440 3,944 4,232 4,663 
			 South East 1,099 1,430 1,865 1,935 1,893 2,294 
			 England 8,432 10,214 13,453 13,350 13,716 15,471 
		
	
	
		
			  £ per head 
			   2001-02  2002-03  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07 
			 Yorkshire and the Humber 140 166 195 191 196 215 
			 London 323 361 601 531 563 614 
			 South East 137 178 231 239 232 280 
			 England 171 206 270 267 272 305

Transport: Schools

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps her Department is taking with the Department for Children, Schools and Families to encourage children to cycle to school.

Rosie Winterton: The Department works closely with DCSF on the joint "Travelling to School" project, which encourages all forms of sustainable travel to school.
	This project has been going since April 2004. Its funds enable local authorities to employ a network of around 250 school travel advisers and regional school travel advisers to work with schools to help them develop and implement school travel plans. Over 14,000 schools have already developed travel plans. It also supports capital grants for schools with travel plans which can be spent on, for example, cycle facilities.
	In addition, we are supporting cycling to school by promoting Bikeability, the new National Standard cycle training scheme. Through Cycling England, we are investing £1.8 million this year alone in cycle training via local authorities and the Youth Sports Trust. We have also provided £16.2 million for the 'Links to Schools' programme and £1.6 million for the 'Bike It' scheme which works with schools to increase the number of young people cycling. These all contribute to the overall "Travelling to School" project.

Transport: Tickets

John Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what progress has been made in work undertaken by her Department and Transport for London to ensure that Oyster cards are compatible with the Integrated Transport Smartcard Organisation standard.

Rosie Winterton: Oyster cards are the responsibility of the Mayor for London and it is therefore for him to consider, in the first instance, issues around compatibility with the ITSO standard. However, the Department for Transport continues to work closely with Transport for London to ensure the delivery of Oyster pay-as-you-go on national rail in London and that ITSO smartcards can be accepted by smartcard readers on the Transport for London estate. A detailed design study is on track to deliver a fixed price and delivery schedule for the roll-out of ITSO/Oyster dual-operable smartcard readers in April 2008.

ENVIRONMENT FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS

Agriculture: Subsidies

James Paice: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many farmers in England received incorrect payments under the 2006 single payment scheme.

Jonathan R Shaw: It is not currently possible to give a definitive number of farmers in England who received incorrect payments under the 2006 single payment scheme.

Agriculture: Subsidies

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what progress has been made in making payments to farmers under the Single Farm Payment Scheme.

Jonathan R Shaw: holding answer 26 November 2007
	The Secretary of State reported on 2 July 2007 that RPA had met its formal target for 2006 Single Payment Scheme payments.
	The payment window for the 2007 scheme opens on 1 December 2007.
	The Agency, with DEFRA's full support, is working towards making more full payments to more farmers earlier than last year, with a view to meeting its formal targets of making 75 per cent. of full payments by end of March 2008 and 90 per cent. by end of May 2008.

Animal Experiments: BSE

Robert Walter: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what Veterinary Laboratories Agency experiments have been conducted on cows fed with BSE infected material in the last 20 years; and what the results were.

Jonathan R Shaw: holding answer 27 November 2007
	No studies have ever been conducted by VLA in which cattle were fed with BSE infected material.
	Seven individual experiments have been conducted at VLA that involved the oral dosing of cattle with bovine brain tissue known to be infected with the BSE agent. The material, in the form of a suspension, was administered directly on to the back of the tongue with a syringe. These studies represent three clusters of experiments, with individual experiments within each cluster being related in terms of the objectives of the investigations conducted.
	Two experiments investigated the susceptibility of calves to oral challenge to different doses of brain tissue, ranging from 300g to 1mg. A correlation was recognised between dose and the incubation period, but infection was achieved at all dose levels. Below a dose of 100g however, not all exposed calves became infected, and the efficiency of transmission declined with reducing dose. Although incomplete, data from these studies were published recently(1).
	Three other experiments investigated the pathogenesis of BSE in cattle, although the latest, and largest, was primarily intended to provide tissues and fluids at varying time points in the incubation period to enable the evaluation of diagnostic tests. These studies involved the sequential slaughter of cattle, and collection of tissues, during the incubation period, from shortly after exposure to the point of clinical disease. There have been several publications that have described the scientific outcomes of the first pathogenesis study, but the most recent(2) summarises all previous results. Additional data from a smaller study, and an opportunistic evaluation of data from the largest pathogenesis study, have also been published recently(3, 4, 5).
	The last two experiments were established to enable the collection of fluids, such as blood samples, during the course of the incubation period to enable their investigation as potential targets for diagnosis of BSE before onset of clinical disease. These transpired to be negative studies, not only in terms of tests investigated at VLA but also when materials were shared with other researchers. As a result, there have been no scientific publications related to these studies.
	 Reference List
	(1) Arnold, M. E; Ryan, J. B M; Konold, T.; Simmons, M. M; Spencer, Y. I; Wear, A.; Chaplin, M.; Stack, M.; Czub, S.; Mueller, R.; Webb, P.R; Davis, A.; Spiropoulos, J.; Holdaway, J.; Hawkins, S. A C; Austin, A. R, and Wells, G. A H. Estimating the Temporal Relationship Between PrPSc Detection and Incubation Period in Experimental Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy of Cattle. (2007). Journal of General Virology. 88: 3198-3208.
	(2) Wells, G. A. H.; Spiropoulos, J.; Hawkins, S. A. C., and Ryder, S. J. Pathogenesis of experimental bovine spongiform encephalopathy: Preclinical infectivity in tonsil and observations on the distribution of lingual tonsil in slaughtered cattle. (2005) Veterinary Record; 156 :401-407.
	(3) Terry, L. A. ; Marsh, S. ; Ryder, S. J.; Hawkins, S. A. C.; Wells, G. A. H., and Spencer, Y. I.. Detection of disease-specific PrP in the distal ileum of cattle exposed orally to the agent of bovine spongiform encephalopathy. (2003); Veterinary Record. 152; 387-392.
	(4) Wells, G. A H; Konold, T.; Arnold, M. E; Austin, A. R; Hawkins, S. A C; Stack, M.; Simmons, M. M; Lee, Y. H; Gavier-Widen, D.; Dawson, M., and Wilesmith, J. W. Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy: the Effect of Oral Exposure Dose on Attack Rate and Incubation Period in Cattle. (2007) Journal of General Virology. 88: 1363-1373.
	(5) Masujin, K.; Matthews, D.; Wells, G. A. H.; Mohri, S., and Yokoyama, T. Prions in the Peripheral Nerves of Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy-Affected Cattle. (2007) Journal of General Virology; 88:1850-1858.

Animal Experiments: Sheep

Robert Walter: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what Veterinary Laboratories Agency experiments concerning inbreeding have been carried out on sheep in the last 20 years; and what the results were.

Jonathan R Shaw: holding answer 27 November 2007
	Although there have been experiments carried out at VLA that involved the breeding of sheep, there have been none concerning "inbreeding".

Animal Welfare

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when he plans to bring forward the codes of practice provided for under the Animal Welfare Act 2006; and if he will make a statement.

Jonathan R Shaw: During the passage of the Animal Welfare Bill, an undertaking was given to issue codes of practice on the welfare of cats and dogs, primates kept in private ownership and the rearing of game birds.
	We are currently working on these codes and anticipate introducing them by early 2009. The codes will be subject to public consultation before being put to Parliament for approval.

Animal Welfare: Circuses

Paddy Tipping: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when he plans to introduce regulations under the Animal Welfare Act 2006 to ban the use of non-domestic animals in travelling circuses; and if he will make a statement.

Jonathan R Shaw: holding answer 26 November 2007
	On 20 November, the independent Circus Working Group set up by DEFRA published its report on the welfare of non-domesticated animals in travelling circuses.
	The Secretary of State's response to the report is available on the DEFRA website.

Animal Welfare: Circuses

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when he plans to bring forward regulations under the Animal Welfare Act 2006 on animals in travelling circuses; and if he will make a statement.

Jonathan R Shaw: On 20 November, the independent Circus Working Group, set up by DEFRA, published its report on the welfare of non-domesticated animals in travelling circuses.
	My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State's response to the report is available on the DEFRA website.

Animal Welfare: Circuses

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much he spent facilitating the Circus Working Group; and if he will make a statement.

Jonathan R Shaw: No central record has been kept of the time spent by DEFRA officials and the other associated costs of facilitating the work of the Circus Working Group.

Animal Welfare: Circuses

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what response he has made to the wild animals in travelling circuses report commissioned by his Department; and if he will make a statement.

Jonathan R Shaw: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State was grateful for the Group's work, which will contribute to the debate on the welfare of wild animals in circuses, and will consider the report's findings carefully.
	The Government will now want to hear reactions to the report and consider its position.

Animal Welfare: Circuses

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what definition he uses of minimum welfare standards for performing animals, as referred to in the recent Report of the Chairman of the Circus Working Group; and if he will make a statement.

Jonathan R Shaw: Welfare standards are currently set in the Animal Welfare Act 2006 and the Performing Animals (Regulation) Act 1925. The recent report prepared by Mike Radford on wild animals in travelling circuses has recommended that additional regulatory protection should be considered.

Animal Welfare: Finance

Paul Beresford: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much funding was allocated to local authorities for animal welfare in  (a) 2007-08,  (b) 2006-07 and  (c) 2005-06.

Jonathan R Shaw: Additional funding paid to local authorities for work done under the animal health and welfare framework agreement is set out in the following table:
	
		
			   Funding  (£ million) 
			 2005-06 8.2 
			 2006-07 8.7 
			 2007-08 (1)8.5 
			 (1) Estimated

Animals: Brazil

James Paice: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  if he will make a statement on the recently published report by the EU Food and Veterinary Office on animal health controls in Brazil;
	(2)  which states in Brazil have  (a) reported outbreaks of foot and mouth in the last year for which figures are available and  (b) been subject to EU bans on imports of meat.

Jonathan R Shaw: DEFRA is aware of the concerns being expressed about meat imported from Brazil. However, it is for the European Commission to follow up the recommendations in the EU Food and Veterinary Office (FVO) report through both the Brazilian authorities and further EU FVO missions. We are pressing the Commission for its response to the report.
	Brazil has reported no outbreaks of foot and mouth disease to the World Organisation of Animal Health (OIE) during 2007. However, evidence of virus circulation in the state of Mato Grosso do Sul was detected through serological surveillance and this was reported to the OIE in February 2007.
	Imports of de-boned and matured fresh meat (including chilled and frozen) are currently permitted only from the following states, or parts of states, of Brazil:
	i. Espíritu Santo;
	ii. Goias;
	iii. Rio Grande do Sul;
	iv. Santa Catarina;
	v. Parts of Mato Grosso;
	vi. Parts of Minas Gerais.

Badgers: Disease Control

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what plans he has to cull badgers.

Jonathan R Shaw: No decision has been made on whether badger culling has a role to play in controlling bovine TB in cattle. We are currently considering this complex issue, taking into account all the available evidence, including the final report of the Independent Scientific Group on Cattle TB (ISG) and the assessment of the scientific evidence made by the Government's Chief Scientific Adviser, Sir David King. We will be discussing the matter with interested parties, including Professor John Bourne, former Chair of the ISG, and Sir David King, and will take account of the views of the Environment Food and Rural Affairs Select Committee following its inquiry into badgers and bovine TB.
	While we are keen to make progress on reaching a decision, there is no specific timetable for doing so.

Bovine Tuberculosis: Gloucestershire

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will make a statement on the prevalence of bovine TB in Gloucestershire and measures to counter bovine TB.

Jonathan R Shaw: h olding answer 26 November 2007
	There are currently 1,140 cattle herds in Gloucestershire. On 30 September, 249 herds (17.3 per cent.) of herds in the county were under TB movement restrictions.(1)
	We recognise that the level of bovine TB (bTB) in cattle in Gloucestershire and across Great Britain is unacceptably high, and that some areas of the country are becoming more affected. In line with the 'GB Strategic Framework for the Control of Bovine TB', we are tailoring our policies to take account of the regional variation of disease risk as well as reflecting emerging evidence. Working on these principles, we have introduced measures such as pre-movement testing for cattle moving out of high risk herds. We have also extended the use of the gamma interferon blood test (alongside the TB skin test) to improve the sensitivity of our testing regime and identify more infected animals more quickly.
	We will continue to work in partnership with interested parties to embed and monitor these measures. We have also recently developed revised TB husbandry guidance in association with the Bovine TB Husbandry Working Group, and published two free guidance booklets for farmers, to help them prevent bTB in their herds.
	Looking ahead, DEFRA funds a wide-ranging bTB research programme and we will continue to use emerging evidence to inform our policies for the future. In June, the Independent Scientific Group on Cattle TB published its final report which adds to the scientific evidence base. We are now considering carefully the issues raised in the report and we will work with farmers, Government advisers and scientific experts in reaching final policy decisions on these.
	(1) TB movement restrictions imposed for any reason (TB incident, overdue TB test etc.). Provisional data subject to change.

Circuses

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether new primary legislation would be necessary to amend the regulation of travelling circuses; and if he will make a statement.

Jonathan R Shaw: Primary legislation would be required if it was proposed to place a prohibition on the use of animals in circuses.

Departmental Correspondence

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what percentage of inquiries received by his Department from the public were responded to within  (a) one week,  (b) 14 days,  (c) 28 days,  (d) two months and  (e) three months in the last period for which figures are available; and in what percentage of cases it took (i) over three months and (ii) over one year to respond.

Jonathan R Shaw: DEFRA aims to reply to the public's letters within 15 working days. So far this year, 92 per cent. of our responses have met this target.
	For ministerial correspondence, I refer the hon. Member to the latest annual report on Departments' and agencies' correspondence-handling. This was published on 28 March 2007,  Official Report, column 101WS. Information for 2007 will be published as soon as it is ready after the end of the calendar year.

Departmental Foreign Workers

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many  (a) EU foreign nationals and  (b) non EU foreign nationals are employed by his Department.

Jonathan R Shaw: Although information on the nationality of candidates is collected as part of the recruitment process, the nationality of members of staff is not held electronically and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Departmental Ministerial Policy Advisors

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the office costs for his Department's special advisers for 2007-08 are expected to be, including costs of support staff; and how many full-time equivalent civil servants work in support of such special advisers.

Jonathan R Shaw: Three civil servants support the special advisers. They all provide administrative support of a non-political nature in accordance with the Code of Conduct for Special Advisers. They also provide support to the private offices.
	Individual civil servants' salary details are not disclosed in order to protect the privacy of the individuals concerned.

Departmental Secondment

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many secondments of staff were made  (a) to and  (b) from his Department in each year since 1997; which organisations staff were seconded (i) to and (ii) from; how many staff were seconded in each year; for how long each secondment lasted; and what the cost was of each secondment in each year.

Jonathan R Shaw: DEFRA was created in June 2001 and the information provided relates to the period since then.
	The number of secondments made to or from DEFRA since June 2001 and the total number of secondments each year was as follows:
	
		
			   To  From  Total 
			 2001 25 18 43 
			 2002 45 54 99 
			 2003 69 73 142 
			 2004 64 85 149 
			 2005 103 83 186 
			 2006 82 145 227 
			 2007 42 47 89 
		
	
	The lengths of the secondments in each year were as follows:
	
		
			   Less  than one  year  One to two  years  Two to three years  Three to four years  Four to five years  Five years and over  Total 
			 2001 7 13 13 5 4 1 43 
			 2002 30 29 14 12 7 7 99 
			 2003 55 41 20 13 8 5 142 
			 2004 50 54 23 19 3 0 149 
			 2005 53 75 43 11 1 3 186 
			 2006 78 76 56 16 0 1 227 
			 2007 23 40 18 8 0 0 89 
		
	
	Information on which organisations staff were seconded to and from, and what the cost was of each secondment in each year could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Departmental Sustainable Development

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether his Department is working towards accreditation to a certified environmental management system such as ISO14001 or EMAS for  (a) its whole estate or  (b) some of its buildings.

Jonathan R Shaw: The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs has 53 sites across the entire estate which falls within the scope of its Environmental Management System (EMS). Of these, 88 per cent. (based on floor space) are accredited to ISO14001. DEFRA is working towards accreditation for all sites falling within the parameters of the EMS within its entire estate not yet accredited.
	The Department has an active and on-going programme of assessment for certification of sites currently working towards accreditation and a continuing programme of re-assessment for all sites already accredited to the standard.

Early Retirement

Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many employees in his Department have been offered early retirement in the last six months; and if he will make a statement.

Jonathan R Shaw: holding answer 27 November 2007
	In the last six months 161 employees of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs have been offered early retirement. To date, 135 of these have accepted the offer. A further 230 employees, aged under 50, have been offered early severance in the same period and of those, to date, 167 have accepted the offer. The scheme has been open to core DEFRA staff only and does not include agencies.

EU Subsidies: Sugar

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent representations he has received on the payment of an EU subsidy to British Sugar; who will qualify; and if he will make a statement.

Jonathan R Shaw: An application for aid has been made by British Sugar under the EU's sugar restructuring scheme. If the application is successful, a fixed 10 per cent. of the aid is available to beet growers and machinery contractors who are affected by the restructuring process. The application is under consideration.

Farms: West Yorkshire

John Battle: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the average price of farmland per acre is in West Yorkshire; what estimate he has made of changes in the price over the last 10 years; what his assessment is of the effect of such changes; and if he will make a statement.

Jonathan R Shaw: The following table shows the average prices per hectare of agricultural land-only sales in West Yorkshire compared with averages for England. Data are only available for 1998 to 2004.
	
		
			Average price (£ per Ha) 
			   Number of sales in West Yorkshire  West Yorkshire—Land only  England—Land only 
			 1998 36 4,976 5,414 
			 1999 19 5,627 5,282 
			 2000 20 6,524 5,603 
			 2001 17 7,786 5,674 
			 2002 16 5,951 5,488 
			 2003 16 11,056 5,390 
			 2004 9 11,621 6,131 
			  Source:  Based on data supplied by the Valuations Office 
		
	
	These estimates are based on land sales and, as a result, do not represent the value of all land in West Yorkshire. The volatility of the average sale prices in West Yorkshire from 1998 to 2004 is likely to be due to the relatively small number of sales on which the estimates are based.

Fish: Imports

Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  whether he has made a recent assessment of the market impact of the importing of fish and shellfish into the UK for  (a) retail and  (b) consumption from (i) European Union and (ii) non-European Union countries which would have been illegal had they been landed in the UK;
	(2)  what estimate he has made of the annual volume of imported fish from  (a) other European Union and  (b) non-European Union countries into the UK for consumption which would not have been caught legally had they been landed in the UK.

Jonathan R Shaw: Information on the volume and value of imports of fish and fish products broken down between European Union and non-European Union countries is published in Chapter 4 of the annual United Kingdom Sea Fisheries Statistics Tables published by the Marine and Fisheries Agency. Copies of the latest edition with data for 2006 have been placed in the Libraries of the House. A further breakdown between those for retail and direct consumption is not available, and an assessment with regards to whether the imports would have been regarded as illegal if they had been landed in the UK, has not been carried out.

Fisheries: Standards

Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether he has considered the merits of ensuring that minimum fish and shellfish sizes applied to UK fisheries landings are also applied to imports of fish and shellfish from  (a) European Union and  (b) non-European Union countries.

Jonathan R Shaw: My Department has not undertaken a consideration along the lines suggested. However, we do apply the EU rules equally to UK fishermen and of those from other member states landing into ports in England and Wales.

Food: Pesticides

Julian Brazier: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what limits have been placed on the pesticides used on food imported  (a) from within the EU and  (b) from outside the EU.

Phil Woolas: There are well established regulatory controls governing the use of pesticides within the European Community, involving a combination of national authorisation systems and authorisations based on harmonised standards under Council Directive 91/414/EEC.
	Food marketed in the UK, whatever its country of origin, must comply with relevant maximum residue levels (MRLs) laid down in the Pesticides (Maximum Residue Levels in Crops, Food and Feeding Stuffs) (England and Wales) Regulations 2005 (as amended). Separate but similar legislation applies in Scotland and Northern Ireland. Fully harmonised MRLs are due to be introduced by Regulation (EC) No 396/2005 around mid-2008.

Gleathorpe Cottages

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many commercial valuations his Department has made of Gleathorpe Cottages, Meden Vale, Nottinghamshire in 2007.

Jonathan R Shaw: holding answer 26 November 2007
	The Department has instructed only one firm of residential surveyors to value the residential properties at the former ADAS Farm, Gleadthorpe for the purposes of calculating offers to the tenants under the right to buy. I understand that ADAS may have instructed three firms of surveyors to provide valuations for their own purposes.

Gleathorpe Cottages

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs for what reasons 30 November has been set as the deadline for the sale of Gleathorpe Cottages, Meden Vale, Nottinghamshire.

Jonathan R Shaw: holding answer 26 November 2007
	The Department has not set a deadline for the sale of the cottages. 'Right-to-buy' offers have been made to 13 of the 15 tenants providing the opportunity to acquire the property they occupy at the maximum discount available under the 'right-to-buy' provisions. The Department has asked that the tenants respond by 30 November indicating whether they wish to take up the offer to buy under the 'right-to-buy' provisions.

Gleathorpe Cottages

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the average length of occupancy is of former ADAS Consulting Ltd. workers resident in Gleathorpe Cottages, Meden Vale, Nottinghamshire.

Jonathan R Shaw: holding answer 26 November 2007
	The Department is not in receipt of the full tenancy history of the cottages at Gleadthorpe because the occupational arrangements have been created over time by ADAS and its predecessor agency. The Department has been able to ascertain from the available records that the average occupation for the known tenancies is 20 years and that 13 of the 15 residential tenants have been in occupation in excess of 10 years.

Home Energy Efficiency Scheme

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the answer of 21 November 2007,  Official Report, column 868W, on home energy efficiency scheme, who is responsible for paying the administration fees for warm front vouchers; and what the procedure is for making those payments.

Phil Woolas: For each voucher claimed, the management fees paid to the scheme manager at eaga plc, are shared between DEFRA and the installer.
	Once the work is completed, the installer submits the £300 voucher to the scheme manager, who deducts a £50 administration charge and makes a payment of £250 to the installer.
	Additional management fees are paid to the scheme manager by DEFRA on a monthly basis.

Livestock: Disease Control

James Paice: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what definition he uses of premises in animal health controls, especially in regard to  (a) different physical areas, separated by land under different ownership but owned by one individual or business, and  (b) two notional premises but within the same ownership and on adjoining pieces of land within a ring fence.

Jonathan R Shaw: Legislation controlling foot and mouth disease and avian influenza defines premises as "any land, building or other place", and bluetongue legislation defines premises as "any place". The extent of a premises depends on a number of practical factors for the purposes of disease control, but not on the ownership of the land.
	The movement of animals will usually be from one premises to another. In this context, different parcels of land, separated by other parcels of land, are defined as different premises.
	However, when imposing restrictions on, for example, farms where disease is suspected, the degree of common management is fully considered when establishing the physical extent of the restrictions over different parcels of land, which may then be defined as the same 'premises'.

Livestock: Waste Disposal

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will make a statement on the effectiveness and efficiency of the Fallen Stock Disposal Scheme.

Jonathan R Shaw: holding answer 26 November 2007
	The Government are satisfied with the effectiveness and efficiency of the arrangements for collecting and disposing of fallen stock under both the continuing National Fallen Stock Scheme and the temporary Culled and Fallen Stock Disposal Scheme. The temporary scheme was set up on 24 October to assist farmers facing movement restrictions in the foot and mouth disease Restricted Zone. It closed on 19 November when the Zone was lifted.

Nitrate Sensitive Areas

Julian Brazier: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what studies have been  (a) conducted and  (b) assessed by his Department on nitrate levels in (i) rivers and (ii) other sensitive areas.

Phil Woolas: The Nitrates Directive requires that a review of designations is carried out at least every four years. The implications from the most recent review are considered in a DEFRA consultation, issued in August 2007.
	The consultation exercise proposes new measures to deal with nitrogen pollution from agricultural sources, and sets out the supporting evidence and other material. The closing date for comments is 13 December 2007.

Nitrates: Concrete

Julian Brazier: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessments he has made of the effect on the environment of the use of concrete to prevent the leakage of nitrates into the ground.

Phil Woolas: We have not made an assessment of the impact on the environment of constructing concrete platforms for this purpose.

Pesticides

Julian Brazier: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what pesticides have been banned for use  (a) for reasons of public health and  (b) for other reasons.

Phil Woolas: The following active substances are prohibited from use in plant protection products anywhere in the European Community because of their risks to health or the environment:
	Mercuric oxide (mercury oxide);
	Mercurous chloride (calomel);
	Other inorganic mercury compounds;
	Alkyl mercury compounds;
	Alkoxyalkyl and aryl mercury compounds;
	Camphechlor;
	Ethylene oxide;
	Nitrofen;
	1,2-Dibromoethane
	1,2-Dichloroethane;
	Dinoseb, its acetate and salts;
	Binapacryl;
	Captafol;
	Dicofol containing less than 78 per cent. of p.p.1—dicofol or more than 1g/kg DDT and DDT related compounds;
	Maleic hydrazide and its salts, other than its choline, potassium and sodium salts;
	Choline, potassium and sodium salts of maleic hydrazide containing more than 1mg/kg of free hydrazine expressed on the basis of the acid equivalent;
	Quintozene containing more than 1g/kg of HCB or more than 10g/kg pentachlorobenzene;
	Aldrin;
	Chlordane;
	Chlordecone;
	Dieldrin;
	DDT;
	Endrin;
	HCH;
	Heptachlor;
	Hexachlorobenzene;
	Mirex;
	Toxaphene.
	In addition, many pesticide active substances have been withdrawn from use following reviews conducted both within the UK and by the European Community.

Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what effect the Renewable Fuel Transport Obligation has had on crop prices; and if he will make a statement.

Jonathan R Shaw: holding answer 26 November 2007
	As part of the Government's Climate Change programme, a Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation (RTFO) will be introduced in 2008. It will require transport fuel suppliers to ensure that 5 per cent. of their fuel sales are from a renewable source by 2010.
	It is unlikely that the RTFO has had any discernable effect on crop prices to date. Current high cereals prices are due to global factors, including two successive lower world wheat harvests, low global stocks and increased demand for cereals from the food, feed and fuels sectors. Growing global demand for biofuels can be expected to increase crop prices but also the supply of crops in the future.
	Analysis by the European Commission assessing the impact of the 10 per cent. (by energy) biofuel target for 2020 indicates that prices for agricultural raw materials in the European Union (EU) would increase by 3 per cent. to 6 per cent. for cereals and 5 per cent. to 18 per cent. for oilseeds. This took into account, potential in the EU to increase production in response to additional demand, and a future contribution from second generation biofuels which can use non-food feedstocks, including waste.
	The Government recognise that a balance is needed between using available land for food and non-food purposes. We will monitor how markets are affected by growing biofuel demand and will tailor policies accordingly.

Rural Payments Agency: Aviation

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the cost of air travel by officials of the Rural Payments Agency was in 2006-07; and how much carbon dioxide was offset in relation to these flights.

Jonathan R Shaw: The cost of air travel by Rural Payment Agency (RPA) officials in 2006-07 was £344,921.84.
	While the RPA does not currently offset its carbon emissions it plans to do so in the near future and is actively looking at the possibility of backdating this offsetting using the fund being developed by DEFRA. More generally, the RPA takes sustainable development issues seriously. In 2006 all main RPA sites achieved the ISO 14001 environmental management standard and currently RPA is developing a revised set of targets for its sustainable development action plan.

Sheep Dipping

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what research the Government is  (a) commissioning and  (b) funding on alternatives to organophosphate sheep dip.

Jonathan R Shaw: DEFRA and the Scottish Government have been funding research into alternatives to conventional veterinary medicines for control of sheep scab for several years. The projects and costs are listed in the following table.
	 Projects to investigate the alternatives to conventional sheep dips for the control of scab
	OD0535 Novel biologically based control methods of the sheep scab mite preliminary investigations
	Funding DEFRA £24,000
	Project completed and further information available on the DEFRA website at:
	http://www2.defra.gov.uk/research/project_data/More.asp?I=OD0535&M=KWS&V#Time
	OD0536 Biochemical and physiological studies to identify potential targets for the control of Psoroptes ovis
	Funding: DEFRA £314,341; Scottish Government £70,000
	Project completed and report available on the DEFRA website at:
	http://randd.defra.gov.uk/Default.aspx?Menu=Menu&Module=More&Location=None&ProjectID=9539&FromSearch=Y&Publisher=1&SearchText=OD0536&SortString=ProjectCode&SortOrder=Asc&Paging=10#Description
	OD0537 Biochemical and immunological studies in sheep infected with the mite, Psoroptes ovis
	Funding: DEFRA £586,725; Scottish Government £70,000
	Project completed and report available on the DEFRA website at:
	http://randd.defra.gov.uk/Default.aspx?Menu=Menu&Module=More&Location=None&ProiectID=9541&FromSearch=Y&Publisher=1&SearchText=OD0537&SortString=ProjectCode&SortOrder=Asc&Paging=10#Description
	OD0538 Studies on the biological control of sheep scab mite, Psoroptes ovis, using entomopathogenic fungi.
	Funding: DEFRA £309,321
	Project completed and report available on the DEFRA website at:
	http://randd.defra.gov.uk/Default.aspx?Menu=Menu&Module=More&Location=None&ProjectID=9543&FromSearch=Y&Publisher=1&SearchText=OD0538&SortString=ProjectCode&SortOrder=Asc&Paging=10#Description
	OD0539 Potential targets for biologically based novel methods of control of the sheep scab mite by study of its basic biology and endocrinology.
	Funding: DEFRA £348,813; Scottish Government £70,000
	Project completed and report available on the DEFRA website at:
	http://randd.defra.gov.uk/Default.aspx?Menu=Menu&Module=More&Location=None&ProjectID=9545&FromSearch=Y&Publisher=1&SearchText=OD0539&SortString=ProjectCode&SortOrder=Asc&Paging=10#Description
	OD0544 Immunological approaches to the control of sheep scab mite.
	Funding: DEFRA £769,799
	Project Completed and report available at:
	http://randd.defra.gov.uk/Default.aspx?Menu=Menu&Module=More&Location=None&ProiectID=12320&FromSearch=Y&Publisher=1&SearchText=OD0544&SortString=ProjectCode&SortOrder=Asc&Paging=10#Description
	OD0545 Studies on the biological control of the sheep scab mite Psoroptes ovis.
	Funding: DEFRA £639,249
	Project Completed and report available on the DEFRA website at:
	http://randd.defra.gov.uk/Default.aspx?Menu=Menu&Module=More&Location=None&ProjectID=12321&FromSearch=Y&Publisher=1&SearchText:=OD0545&SortString=ProiectCode&SortOrder=Asc&Paging=10#Description
	OD0546 Feasibility of using biological studies to develop novel control of the sheep scab mite.
	Funding: DEFRA £328,096
	Project continuing. Abstract available at:
	http://randd.defra.gov.uk/Default.aspx?Menu=Menu&Module=More&Location=None&ProjectID=12322&FromSearch=Y&Publisher=1&SearchText=OD0546&SortString=ProjectCode&SortOrder=Asc&Paging=10#Description
	OD0552 Identification of novel control methods through better understanding of the biology and physiology of the sheep scab mite.
	Funding: DEFRA £351,133
	Project continuing. Abstract available at:
	http://randd.defra.gov.uk/Default.aspx?Menu=Menu&Module=More&Location=None&ProjectID=15199&FromSearch=Y&Publisher=1&SearchText=sheep%20scab&GridPage=1&SortString=ProjectCode&SortOrder=Asc&Paging=10#Description
	OD0553 Investigation of the potential for the control of sheep scab using immunological approaches and the development of diagnostic tools.
	Funding: DEFRA £734,294
	Project continuing. Abstract available at:
	http://randd.defra.gov.uk/Default.aspx?Menu-Menu&Module=More&Location=None&ProjectID=15200&FromSearch=Y&Publisher=1&SearchText=OD0553&SortString=ProjectCode&SortOrder=Asc&Paging=10#Description

Sheep Dipping

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what advice his Department makes available on the use of organophosphate sheep dip.

Jonathan R Shaw: The DEFRA, Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD) and Environment Agency (EA) websites provide advice on the use and disposal of sheep dip.
	Advice from VMD and the EA covers:
	safety to the animals, the operators and the environment;
	purchasing and transport of the sheep dip product;
	the requirement for a responsible person to hold a Certificate of Competence and for that person to supervise others operating the dips;
	the siting of the dip baths to minimise the risk of the sheep dip product entering watercourses;
	the storage, treatment and disposal of spent dip;
	record keeping;
	emergencies, i.e. what to do if a person comes into direct contact with the sheep dip.
	Advice from DEFRA covers the Groundwater Protection Code—Use and disposal of sheep dip compounds.
	Both the VMD and EA websites include links to the Pollution Reduction Programme (PRP) which promotes the safe use of sheep dips.
	The VMD website also contains a link to the HSE document AS29 entitled Sheep Dipping—Advice for Farmers and Others involved in Dipping Sheep.
	In addition to the website information, an accompanying safety checklist poster must be supplied to each purchaser of sheep dip products at the time of purchase. Also, a NFU poster 'Stop every drop', which was produced as a direct result of the joint VMD/EA Pollution Reduction Plan has been sent to all 51,000 sheep farmers on the British Wool Marketing Board's database.
	The relevant links are as follows:
	Groundwater Protection Code:
	http://www.defra.gov.uk/environment/water/ground/sheepdip/pdf/Code.pdf
	VMD:
	http://www.vmd.gov.uk/General/sheepdip/sheepdips.htm
	EA:
	http://www.environment-agency.gov.uk/business/

Sheep Dipping

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will commission research jointly with the Department of Health looking into genetic susceptibility to nervous disorders as a result of using organophosphate sheep dips.

Jonathan R Shaw: The Government has funded a number of research projects into the possible effects in humans of exposure to organophosphates (OPs), in particular OP based sheep dips. This research forms a key part of the Government's four point plan on OPs announced in December 1999.
	The research was commissioned following the 1999 Committee on Toxicity of Chemicals in Food, Consumer Products and the Environment (COT) report entitled "Organophosphates" in which five recommendations for further research were made. The Government have asked COT
	"to advise on whether prolonged or repeated low level exposure to OPs, or acute exposure to OPs at a lower dose than causing frank intoxication, can cause chronic ill-health effects".
	In addition, Government R and D funds have also been used to commission several other projects on OPs and human health.
	On genetic susceptibility, COT recommended that research should be undertaken to show whether people with chronic disabling illness that is suspected of being related to OPs differ metabolically from the general population. The project on the genetic variation in susceptibility to chronic effects of organophosphate exposure has been completed and the final report is on the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) website:
	http://www.hse.gov.uk/research/rrhtm/rr408.htm.
	A related study entitled "Genetic and other sources of variation in the activity of serum paraoxonase in humans: consequences for the risk from exposure to diazinon" has been published in Pharmacogenet, Genomics, 2005 January; 15(1): p51-60.
	COT reviewed the research arising from their recommendations along with all other Government-funded research into OPs on 4 September 2007. In reviewing the above work, COT concluded that the results may have reflected genetic differences in susceptibility to ill health, but that if so, these were unlikely to be related to organophosphate toxicity.
	COT noted that, as some of the research projects commissioned as a result of their 1999 recommendations had yet to be completed, they would need to revisit the work when all the final reports have been received. COT also advised that the final review should consider the Government-funded research in the wider context of all research on OPs and human health. Once the final review is received from COT, the Government will consider this and the need for any research which might be identified as part of an integrated programme of work. Currently, there are no plans to commission any further research on genetic susceptibility to nervous disorders as a result of using organophosphate sheep dips.

Shellfish: Canada

Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what representations he has  (a) received and  (b) made in respect of the importing of Canadian lobsters into the UK.

Jonathan R Shaw: DEFRA has neither made nor received any representations about imports of Canadian lobsters.

Sugar Beet

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the Government's policy is on the proposals of UK sugar beet growers that British Sugar's application to the EU Restructuring Scheme should be linked to a plan to recompense those growers who lost their sugar-growing enterprises as a result of the closure of the York and Allscot factories.

Jonathan R Shaw: British Sugar's application, including this element, is under active consideration and we shall announce in due course the envisaged distribution of EU Restructuring Aid in the event that the application is approved.

Sugar Beet

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what representations he has received from sugar beet growers in the areas of the now closed York and Allscot factories seeking compensation as part of the reform of the EU sugar regime.

Jonathan R Shaw: Representations, to the effect that beet growers who formerly supplied the Allscott and York sugar factories should be entitled to an element of any EU Restructuring Aid made available in the UK, have been received on their behalf from the National Farmers Union.

Veterinary Services: Finance

David Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the written answer of 20 November 2007 to the hon. Member for Aylesbury (164336), if he will list  (a) in total and  (b) in respect of each local authority (i) the value of bids submitted to divisional veterinary managers (DVMs) and certified by the DVMs as eligible for additional resources under the Revenue Support Grant for work on animal health and welfare for 2007-08 and (ii) the funding allocations made by his Department in response to those bids.

Jonathan R Shaw: holding answer  26 November 2007
	The forecasts submitted by local authorities through the divisional veterinary managers (DVMs) for direct funding under the Animal Health and Welfare framework agreement, and the funding allocations made by DEFRA, are given in the following table. This year, the total bids received, some of which arrived well into the new financial year, amounted to £9.77 million. The funding available was £8.5 million. This direct funding from DEFRA is in addition to the Revenue Support Grant that all local authorities receive.
	
		
			  £ 
			  Local authority  Forecast  Allocation 
			 Barnsley MBC 25,860.48 23,274.00 
			 Bath and North East Somerset 66,685.00 60,017.00 
			 Bedfordshire CC 53,716.32 48,345.00 
			 Birmingham CC 30,350.49 27,315.00 
			 Blackburn with Darwen BC 6,052.00 6,052.00 
			 Blackpool 385.40 385.00 
			 Blaenau Gwent CBC 18,305.52 16,841.00 
			 Bolton Metro 13,269.84 12,208.00 
			 Bradford MBC 43,422.24 39,080.00 
			 Bridgend CBC 39,402.00 35,462.00 
			 Buckinghamshire CC 101,050.00 88,924.00 
			 Bury MBC 2,901.00 2,901.00 
			 Caerphilly CBC 25,023.00 22,521.00 
			 Calderdale MBC 63,226.80 56,904.00 
			 Cambridgeshire CC 81,083.44 72,975.00 
			 Cardiff CC 7,102.73 7,103.00 
			 Carmarthenshire CC 218,519.40 192,297.00 
			 Ceredigion CC 221,719.00 195,113.00 
			 Cheshire CC 103,000.00 90,640.00 
			 City of London (Chelmsford) 10,179.92 10,180.00 
			 City of London (Reigate) 13,774.82 12,673.00 
			 City of London (Wokingham and Reading) 11,796.00 10,852.00 
			 City of York 12,576.00 11,570.00 
			 Conwy CBC 166,005.08 146,084.00 
			 Cornwall CC 159,552.00 140,406.00 
			 Coventry 8,020.00 8,020.00 
			 Cumbria CC 335,731.00 295,443.00 
			 Darlington BC 40,721.52 36,649.00 
			 Denbighshire CC 154,969.00 136,373.00 
			 Derby City 11,904.00 10,952.00 
			 Derbyshire CC 226,263.40 199,112.00 
			 Devon CC 569,014.36 500,733.00 
			 Doncaster MBC 51,618.30 46,456.00 
			 Dorset CC 132,312.00 116,435.00 
			 Dudley 19,427.88 17,874.00 
			 Durham CC 90,630.00 81,567.00 
			 East Riding of Yorkshire 238,133.96 209,558.00 
			 East Sussex CC 59,700.00 53,730.00 
			 Essex CC 172,539.00 151,834.00 
			 Flintshire CC 82,212.00 73,991.00 
			 Gateshead 5,748.00 5,748.00 
			 Gloucestershire CC 219,000.00 192,720.00 
			 Gwynedd 148,792.00 130,937.00 
			 Halton 2,657.40 2,657.00 
			 Hampshire 42,342.00 38,108.00 
			 Hartlepool 4,550.00 4,550.00 
			 Herefordshire CC 136,099.96 119,768.00 
			 Hertfordshire CC 29,206.00 26,285.00 
			 Isle of Anglesey CC 109,139.26 96,043.00 
			 Isle of Wight 36,054.00 32,449.00 
			 Kent CC 235,215.36 206,990.00 
			 Kirklees MC 32,952.00 29,657.00 
			 Lancashire CC 386,604.00 340,212.00 
			 Leeds CC 32,276.52 29,049.00 
			 Leicestershire CC 69,924.00 62,932.00 
			 Lincolnshire CC 197,376.00 173,691.00 
			 Medway CC 9,158.88 9,159.00 
			 Merthyr Tydfil CBC 74,284.00 66,856.00 
			 Middlesbrough 936.00 936.00 
			 Milton Keynes 52,257.60 47,032.00 
			 Monmouthshire CC Incl Torfean 145,589.00 128,705.00 
			 Newcastle CC 39,120.00 35,208.00 
			 Newport CC 78,235.20 70,412.00 
			 Norfolk CC 146,913.40 129,284.00 
			 North Lincolnshire 26,136.00 23,522.00 
			 North Somerset C 33,508.68 30,158.00 
			 North Tyneside 13,512.00 12,431.00 
			 North Yorkshire CC 471,240.00 414,691.00 
			 Northamptonshire CC 96,804.00 85,188.00 
			 Northumberland CC 202,701.00 178,377.00 
			 Nottinghamshire CC 101,730.00 89,521.00 
			 Oldham MBC 64,553.88 58,098.00 
			 Oxfordshire CC 126,850.97 111,629.00 
			 Pembrokeshire CC 151,884.00 133,658.00 
			 Peterborough 13,769.26 12,668.00 
			 Powys CC 287,795.00 253,260.00 
			 Redcar and Cleveland 9,156.92 9,157.00 
			 Rhondda Cynon TAF 56,287.80 50,659.00 
			 Rochdale 5,357.34 5,357.00 
			 Rotherham MBC 36,876.00 33,188.00 
			 Rutland CC 11,781.00 10,839.00 
			 Sandwell MBC 6,356.72 6,357.00 
			 Sefton CC 4,993.60 4,994.00 
			 Sheffield CC 40,187.80 36,169.00 
			 Shropshire CC 144,696.00 127,332.00 
			 Solihull MBC 19,687.50 18,113.00 
			 Somerset CC 255,078.52 224,469.00 
			 South Gloucester 73,677.00 66,309.00 
			 South Tyneside 6,662.00 6,662.00 
			 Staffordshire Cc 305,416.68 268,767.00 
			 Stockton 14,921.12 13,727.00 
			 Stoke on Trent 8,570.00 8,570.00 
			 Suffolk 137,367.96 120,884.00 
			 Sunderland 765.00 765.00 
			 Surrey CC 150,956.00 132,841.00 
			 Swindon BC 5,242.20 5,242.00 
			 Tameside MBC 630.00 630.00 
			 Telford and Wrekin Borough 34,020.00 30,618.00 
			 Vale of Glamorgan 25,944.00 23,350.00 
			 Wakefield MBC 32,566.75 29,310.00 
			 Walsall M.B.C 4,423.52 4,424.00 
			 Warrington BC 9,490.68 9,491.00 
			 Warwickshire CC 149,580.00 131,630.00 
			 West Berkshire CC 30,068.00 27,061.00 
			 West Glamorgan 73,796.00 66,416.00 
			 West Sussex CC 49,714.20 44,743.00 
			 Wigan Council 9,039.00 9,039.00 
			 Wiltshire CC 67,740.00 60,966.00 
			 Windsor and Maidenhead 38,380.08 34,542.00 
			 Wolverhampton CC 3,958.84 3,959.00 
			 Worcestershire CC 258,760.32 227,709.00 
			 Wrexham CBC 63,597.00 57,237.00 
			 Total 9,658,815.82 8,562,964.00 
			  Note:  There have been a number of minor revisions and adjustments to the figures since the previous answer.

DUCHY OF LANCASTER

Central Sponsor for Information Assurance Unit: Data Protection

Greg Clark: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster 
	(1)  when he last met members of the Central Sponsor for Information Assurance Unit to discuss information security;
	(2)  what meetings he has had with ministerial colleagues in other Departments to discuss information assurance in the last 12 months.

Edward Miliband: holding answer 27 November 2007
	Cabinet Office Ministers have a wide range of meetings with officials and ministerial colleagues on a number of policy issues. It is not the Government's practice to disclose details of these meetings.

LEADER OF THE HOUSE

Departmental Data Protection

Charles Walker: To ask the Leader of the House whether her Office's information technology and data management systems are BS7799 compliant.

Helen Goodman: Information technology and data management systems used by the Office of the Leader of the House of Commons are BS7799 compliant.

WALES

Departmental Data Protection

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales 
	(1)  what reviews have been undertaken of his Department's rules on data protection in the last two years; if he will place in the Library a copy of the report of the last review of his Department's compliance with data protection laws; and if his Department will undertake a review of its compliance with data protection laws;
	(2)  on how many occasions in  (a) his Department and  (b) its agencies confidential data have been downloaded on to compact discs (i) without and (ii) with encryption in the last 12 month period for which figures are available; how many of those discs have been posted without using recorded or registered delivery; what procedures his Department has in place for the (A) transport, (B) exchange and (C) delivery of confidential or sensitive data; what records are kept of information held by his Department being sent outside the Department; what changes have been made to his Department's rules and procedures on data protection in the last two years; on how many occasions his Department's procedures and rules on data protection have been breached in the last five years; what those breaches were; what procedures his Department has in place on downloading confidential data on to computer discs before its transfer; what technical protections there are in his Department's computer systems to prevent access to information held on those systems which is not in accordance with departmental procedures; and if he will place in the Library a copy of each of his Department's rules and procedures on the protection of confidential data on individuals, businesses and other organisations;
	(3)  how many employees of each grade in his Department  (a) have access to confidential or sensitive data and  (b) are authorised to download such data to disc; how many of his Department's employees have undergone data protection training in the last 12 months; what the average length of time is that each employee of his Department has spent on data protection training; how many investigations of employees of his Department for improperly accessing confidential information have taken place in the last 12 months; how many such investigations resulted in cases of disciplinary action; and what the circumstances of each of those cases were.

Peter Hain: I refer the hon. Member to the statement made by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister on 21 November 2007,  Official Report, column 1179. The review by the Cabinet Secretary and security experts is looking at procedures within Departments and agencies for the storage and use of data. A statement on Departments' procedures will be made on completion of the review.

Departmental Data Protection

Charles Walker: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales whether his Department's information technology and data management systems are BS7799 compliant.

Peter Hain: All Government Departments are required to ensure that their information technology and data management systems meet the Government standard (known as HMG Infosec Standard 2) which is aligned to BS7799.
	Ministry of Justice provides all information technology and data management systems to the Wales Office.
	All organisations brought together as MoJ in May 2007 comply with the Government standard, and therefore meet the principles of BS7799.

Departmental Data Protection

Shailesh Vara: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales 
	(1)  on how many occasions the Information Commissioner was contacted by his Department to report breaches of data protection security in each of the last five years;
	(2)  how many breaches of data protection security there were in his Department in each of the last five years; and if he will provide details of each breach.

Peter Hain: I refer the hon. Member to the statement made by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister on 21 November 2007,  Official Report, column 1179. The review by the Cabinet Secretary and security experts is looking at procedures within Departments and agencies for the storage and use of data. A statement on Departments' procedures will be made on completion of the review.

Departmental Health Insurance

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many officials in his Department have private health insurance provided as part of their employment package.

Peter Hain: None.

Departmental Manpower

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many  (a) EU foreign nationals and  (b) non-EU foreign nationals are employed by his Department.

Peter Hain: None.

Departmental Secondment

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many secondments of staff were made  (a) to and  (b) from his Office in each year since 1997; which organisations staff were seconded (i) to and (ii) from; how many staff were seconded in each year; for how long each secondment lasted; and what the cost was of each secondment in each year.

Peter Hain: The Wales Office was established in 1999 and has always had staff on loan from other Government Departments. Loans have predominantly been from the Welsh Assembly Government. Between 1999 and 2004, the vast majority of staff were on loan to the Wales Office, and since then it has reduced to around 50 per cent. of the total headcount.
	Numbers of staff, home departments and costs are not available in the format requested, and obtaining this information could be achieved only at disproportionate cost.

HOME DEPARTMENT

Alcoholic Drinks: Young People

James Brokenshire: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many young people under the age of 16 years were charged with alcohol related offences in each of the last three years for which figures are available, broken down by police basic command unit.

Vernon Coaker: The Home Office does not hold data on the number of people charged by the police for alcohol related offences.

Anabolic Steroids: Crime

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people were  (a) cautioned,  (b) arrested,  (c) charged and  (d) convicted of (i) possession of and (ii) supplying anabolic steroids in the United Kingdom in each year since 1997.

Vernon Coaker: The available information has been supplied by the Office for Criminal Justice Reform. Information on the number of people cautioned, proceeded against and convicted of possession and supplying anabolic steroids in England and Wales for the years 1997 to 2005 is given in tables 1 and 2. Data for 2006 will be available in late November of 2007.
	Information on charging is not held centrally, but proceeded against data has been provided in the following table.
	The arrests collection undertaken by the Office for Criminal Justice Reform only provides data on persons arrested for recorded crime (notifiable offences) by age group, gender, ethnicity, and main offence group, i.e. violence against the person, sexual offences, robbery, burglary, drugs offences etc. More detailed data about specific offences do not form part of this collection.
	The Scottish Executive have advised that the information requested is not held centrally.
	The Northern Ireland Office advises that data relating to the 'offence of supplying anabolic steroids' are not available. It is only possible to provide prosecution, conviction and sentencing information relating to Class C drugs which includes tranquilisers and other drugs.
	
		
			  N umber of persons cautioned for offences under The Misuse of Drugs Act 1971, Sections 4(3)(a), 4(3)(b), 4(3)(c), 5(2), and 5(3), for the years 1997 to 2005 in England and Wales( 1, 2, 3) 
			   Offence description 
			   Supplying or offering to supply a controlled drug (or being concerned in):-S.4(3) [Class 'C' Drug] - Anabolic  s teroids  Having possession of a controlled drug with intent to supply - Anabolic  s teroids  Having possession of a controlled drug - Anabolic  s teroids 
			 1997 — 3 14 
			 1998 — 1 18 
			 1999 1 — 8 
			 2000 — — 7 
			 2001 1 — 4 
			 2002 — — 4 
			 2003 — 1 3 
			 2004 2 2 12 
			 2005 1 2 18 
			 — Nil (1) These data are on the principal offence basis. (2) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used. (3) From 1 June 2000 the Crime and Disorder Act 1998 came into force nationally and removed the use of cautions for persons under 18 and replaced them with reprimands and final warnings. These figures have been included in the totals. Source: Court proceedings database held by RDS-OCJR, Ministry of Justice Our reference: PQ 165942 (Table 1) 
		
	
	
		
			  N umber of persons proceeded against at magistrates court and found guilty at all courts for offences under The Misuse of Drugs Act 1971, Sections 4(3)(a), 4(3)(b), 4(3)(c), 5(2), and 5(3), for the years 1997 to 2005 in England and Wales( 1, 2, 3) 
			   Offence description 
			   Proceeded against  Found guilty 
			   Supplying or offering to supply a controlled drug (or being concerned in):-5.4(3) [Class 'C' Drug]-Anabolic  s teroids  Having possession of a controlled drug with intent to supply-Anabolic  s teroids  Having possession of a controlled drug-Anabolic steroids  Supplying or offering to supply a controlled drug (or being concerned in): S4(3) [Class 'C' Drug]-Anabolic steroids  Having possession of a controlled drug with intent to supply-Anabolic steroids  Having posse ssi on of a controlled drug-Anabolic steroids 
			 1997 3 9 4 2 1 1 
			 1998 1 2 2 1 1 0 
			 1999 1 2 5 1 1 3 
			 2000 1 0 4 0 0 2 
			 2001 2 1 256 3 0 240 
			 2002 0 1 402 2 2 368 
			 2003 9 4 341 3 2 321 
			 2004 3 6 92 3 6 74 
			 2005 3 5 14 4 5 8 
			 (1) These data are on the principal offence basis. (2) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used. (3) Staffordshire police force were only able to submit sample data for persons proceeded against and convicted in the magistrates' courts for the year 2000. Although sufficient to estimate higher orders of data, these data are not robust enough at a detailed level and have been excluded from the table.  Source: Court proceedings database held by RDS-OCJR, Ministry of Justice Our reference: PQ 165942 (Table 2)

Animal Experiments: Licensing

Elfyn Llwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  what plans she has to  (a) reduce information requirements and  (b) streamline transaction processes for applications for project licences for scientific procedures on animals;
	(2)  what estimate her Department has made of the costs to animal research businesses and other organisations of applications for project licences for scientific procedures on animals.

Meg Hillier: holding answer 26 November 2007
	The Home Office Simplification Plan published in December 2006 includes a target to reduce the compliance costs arising from the regulation of animal experiments by 25 per cent. by 2010, whilst maintaining proper provision for animal welfare. Work towards the target is being taken forward in a dedicated better regulation programme. This work includes looking at how we might reduce information requirements and streamline transaction processes for applications for project licences under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986.
	Since January 2007, we have delivered a number of quick wins involving improvements to forms and processes and we have also completed preliminary work, including consultation with practitioners, to identify potential options for longer term improvements to our regulatory processes. Amongst other things, we are now working on the development of a new, shorter project licence application form and project licence templates and worked examples.
	We have not separately estimated the costs to the scientific community associated with applications for project licences. However, an administrative burden on business, excluding the academic sector, has been identified and priced at £6.95 million per annum. These costs include those arising from all aspects of regulation under the 1986 Act, including personal and project licences, certificates of designation, local ethical review processes and training.

Antisocial Behaviour Orders

James Brokenshire: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent estimate she has made of the breach rate of antisocial behaviour orders.

Vernon Coaker: The latest data available for the breach rate for antisocial behaviour orders is for the period 1 June 2000 to 31 December 2005 and is 47 per cent. overall (57 per cent. for juveniles and 41 per cent. for adults with 3 per cent. age unknown). Analysis of the 2003 ASBO breach data showed that 55 per cent. of those who breached their ASBO received a custodial sentence, the average length of which was three to six months.

Assets Recovery Agency: Belfast

Nigel Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much was spent by the Assets Recovery Agency in Belfast on  (a) salaries,  (b) travel and  (c) subsistence in each financial year since its creation.

Vernon Coaker: The information requested is set out in the table.
	
		
			  Assets Recovery Agency—Belfast 
			  £ 
			   Salaries  Travel  Subsistence  Total 
			 2003-04 853,290.71 132,669.13 10,198.68 996,158.52 
			 2004-05 1,140,561.60 122,309.70 8,198.28 1,271,069.58 
			 2005-06 1,744,716.65 215,453.24 16,602.17 1,976,772.06 
			 2006-07 1,626,255.58 114,016.31 16,331.58 1,756,603.47

Asylum: Essex

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many  (a) adults and  (b) children seeking asylum were resident in (i) Southend and (ii) each local authority in Essex in (A) the latest period for which figures are available, (B) 1997, (C) 2001, (D) 2005 and (E) 2006.

Liam Byrne: The information requested could be obtained only by the detailed examination of individual case records, at disproportionate cost.
	Statistics on supported asylum seekers, broken down by age, are not available. The location of those asylum seekers not in receipt of support is not available.
	Separate arrangements exist for unaccompanied asylum seeking children (UASC), who are supported by local authorities; the local authority receives funding from the Home Office for this purpose. As at the end of March 2007 an estimated 5,000 UASCs were supported by local authorities; this figure is based on the latest available management information and a regional breakdown is not available.
	The numbers of asylum seekers in receipt of support, broken down by Government office region and local authority, are published on a quarterly and annual basis. Copies of these publications are available from the Library of the House and the Home Office Research, Development and Statistics website at:
	http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/immigration1.html.
	Further breakdowns, of those in receipt of support by parliamentary constituency, are also available from the Library of the House.

Asylum: Newcastle upon Tyne

Jim Cousins: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people  (a) entered and  (b) left accommodation supported by the National Asylum Support Service or the Border and Immigration Agency in Newcastle upon Tyne in each quarter in (i) 2005, (ii) 2006 and (iii) 2007.

Liam Byrne: The information requested could be obtained only by the detailed examination of individual case records, at disproportionate cost.
	The numbers of asylum seekers in receipt of support broken down by Government office region and local authority are published on a quarterly and annual basis. Copies of these publications are available from the Home Office Research, Development and Statistics website at:
	http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/immigration1.html.
	Further breakdowns, of those in receipt of support by parliamentary constituency, are also available from the Library of the House.

Asylum: Religious Freedom

Nigel Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people were granted asylum on grounds of religious persecution in each year since 2002, broken down by country of origin.

Liam Byrne: This information is not available and could be obtained only by examination of individual case records at disproportionate cost.
	Information on asylum applications, initial decisions and appeals by nationality are published quarterly and annually. Copies of these publications are available from the Library of the House and from the Home Office Research, Development and Statistics website at:
	http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/immigration1.html.

Crime

Boris Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the  (a) level and  (b) rate per 1,000 population in (i) England and (ii) each London borough was of (A) crime, (B) homicide, (C) violence against the person, (D) rape, (E) personal robbery, (F) robberies from businesses, (G) residential burglary, (H) non-residential burglary, (I) gun-related crime, (J) motor vehicle crime, (K) domestic crime and (L) racial crime in the most recent period for which figures are available.

Vernon Coaker: Data for gun-related crime refer to the offences involving firearms (excluding air weapons) that have been recorded by the police. Data for 2005-06 is the most recently available and is given in Table A.
	From the information collected centrally on recorded crime, it is not possible to identify recorded cases of domestic crime. Such offences are not specifically defined by law and details of the individual circumstances of offences are not collected. Data for the remaining crime types requested are given for 2006-07 in Table B.
	
		
			  Table 1: Firearm offences (excluding air weapon offences) recorded( 1)  and the rate per 1,000 population—2005-06 
			   Offences recorded  Rate per 1,000 population 
			 Total London(2) 3,884 0.52 
			 Total England 10,851 0.22 
			 (1) Includes all offences involving firearms (excluding air weapons), where a weapon has been fired, used as a blunt instrument or used in a threat. (2) Includes the City of London police and the Metropolitan Police Service. 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 2: Offences recorded and the rate per 1,000 population for specified offence groups and areas 
			   Total recorded crime  Homicide( 1)  Violence against the person  Rape 
			   Offences recorded  Rate per 1,000 population  Offences recorded  Rate per 1,000 population  Offences recorded  Rate per 1,000 population  Offences recorded  Rate per 1,000 population 
			 Barking and Dagenham 21,384 129.98 9 0.05 5,150 31.30 68 0.41 
			 Barnet 29,920 90.75 5 0.02 5,512 16.72 67 0.20 
			 Bexley 16,997 77.15 (5)— (5)— 3,742 16.99 35 0.16 
			 Brent 30,474 112.83 4 0.01 6,216 23.02 93 0.34 
			 Bromley 28,424 94.14 4 0.01 5,697 18.87 46 0.15 
			 Camden 42,435 187.68 7 0.03 6,586 29.13 70 0.31 
			 City of Westminster 66,267 271.18 4 0.02 8,413 34.43 131 0.54 
			 Croydon 31,510 91.95 3 0.01 6,741 19.67 97 0.28 
			 Ealing 36,734 121.72 9 0.03 7,641 25.32 56 0.19 
			 Enfield 27,058 96.45 (5)— (5)— 5,342 19.04 66 0.24 
			 Greenwich 29,829 130.75 3 0.01 7,486 32.81 107 0.47 
			 Hackney 31,160 149.99 11 0.05 7,148 34.41 109 0.52 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham 25,334 140.86 4 0.02 5,054 28.10 62 0.34 
			 Haringey 30,595 136.29 5 0.02 5,651 25.17 76 0.34 
			 Harrow 15,837 74.02 (5)— (5)— 2,870 13.41 45 0.21 
			 Havering 19,997 88.40 5 0.02 3,639 16.09 38 0.17 
			 Hillingdon 28,144 111.50 7 0.03 5,911 23.42 35 0.14 
			 Hounslow 24,485 115.22 4 0.02 5,502 25.89 78 0.37 
			 Islington 35,248 192.99 6 0.03 6,289 34.43 89 0.49 
			 Kensington and Chelsea 24,328 123.98 (5)— (5)— 3,597 18.33 49 0.25 
			 Kingston upon Thames 13,105 85.64 (5)— (5)— 3,003 19.62 28 0.18 
			 Lambeth 38,868 144.42 15 0.06 8,344 31.00 127 0.47 
			 Lewisham 32,150 129.92 4 0.02 8,062 32.58 106 0.43 
			 Merton 16,078 82.56 5 0.03 3,361 17.26 42 0.22 
			 Newham 35,597 144.57 14 0.06 7,578 30.78 96 0.39 
			 Redbridge 24,646 98.00 (5)— (5)— 4,323 17.19 52 0.21 
			 Richmond upon Thames 13,408 71.98 (5)— (5)— 2,122 11.39 24 0.13 
			 Southwark 39,713 154.12 10 0.04 8,435 32.74 118 0.46 
			 Sutton 15,408 86.71 (5)— (5)— 2,989 16.82 33 0.19 
			 Tower Hamlets 32,627 153.05 3 0.01 7,727 36.25 103 0.48 
			 Waltham Forest 28,927 129.10 4 0.02 6,052 27.01 74 0.33 
			 Wandsworth 30,039 106.75 9 0.03 5,647 20.07 81 0.29 
			 Total 916,726 122.09 (5)— (5)— 181,830 24.22 2,301 0.31 
			 Total London(4) 929,752 123.67 (5)— (5)— 183,321 24.39 2,312 0.31 
			 Total England 5,093,395 101.00 719 0.01 976,638 19.37 13,135 0.26 
		
	
	
		
			   Robbery of personal property  Robbery of business property  Burglary in a dwelling 
			   Offences recorded  Rate per 1,000 population  Offences recorded  Rate per 1,000 population  Offences recorded  Rate per 1,000 population 
			 Barking and Dagenham 704 4.28 101 0.61 1,196 7.27 
			 Barnet 935 2.84 128 0.39 2,467 7.48 
			 Bexley 388 1.76 60 0.27 1,105 5.02 
			 Brent 2,036 7.54 108 0.40 2,289 8.48 
			 Bromley 990 3.28 125 0.41 1,996 6.61 
			 Camden 1,516 6.70 81 0.36 2,515 11.12 
			 City of Westminster 1,697 6.94 59 0.24 1,448 5.93 
			 Croydon 1,653 4.82 176 0.51 2,099 6.12 
			 Ealing 2,280 7.56 79 0.26 2,693 8.92 
			 Enfield 1,385 4.94 122 0.43 2,390 8.52 
			 Greenwich 1,382 6.06 97 0.43 1,929 8.46 
			 Hackney 1,570 7.56 115 0.55 1,841 8.86 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham 1,108 6.16 64 0.36 2,118 11.78 
			 Haringey 1,804 8.04 142 0.63 2,709 12.07 
			 Harrow 728 3.40 41 0.19 1,334 6.23 
			 Havering 469 2.07 80 0.35 1,175 5.19 
			 Hillingdon 874 3.46 100 0.40 1,874 7.42 
			 Hounslow 822 3.87 47 0.22 1,671 7.86 
			 Islington 1,381 7.56 107 0.59 2,450 13.41 
			 Kensington and Chelsea 764 3.89 23 0.12 1,385 7.06 
			 Kingston upon Thames 281 1.84 21 0.14 515 3.37 
			 Lambeth 2,674 9.94 237 0.88 2,774 10.31 
			 Lewisham 2,477 10.01 158 0.64 2,492 10.07 
			 Merton 549 2.82 49 0.25 997 5.12 
			 Newham 2,273 9.23 247 1.00 2,155 8.75 
			 Redbridge 1,206 4.80 147 0.58 2,107 8.38 
			 Richmond upon Thames 387 2.08 21 0.11 1,053 5.65 
			 Southwark 2,477 9.61 218 0.85 2,373 9.21 
			 Sutton 374 2.10 39 0.22 657 3.70 
			 Tower Hamlets 1,829 8.58 79 0.37 1,638 7.68 
			 Waltham Forest 1,802 8.04 152 0.68 1,854 8.27 
			 Wandsworth 1,636 5.81 88 0.31 2,634 9.36 
			 Total 42,451 5.65 3,311 0.44 59,933 7.98 
			 Total London(4) 42,497 5.65 3,315 0.44 59,970 7.98 
			 Total England 88,681 1.76 9,382 0.19 281,704 5.59 
		
	
	
		
			   Burglary in a building other than a dwelling  Offences against vehicles( 2)  All racially/religiously aggravated crime( 3) 
			   Offences recorded  Rate per 1,000 population  Offences recorded  Rate per 1,000 population  Offences recorded  Rate per 1,000 population 
			 Barking and Dagenham 921 5.60 3,091 18.79 368 2.24 
			 Barnet 1,437 4.36 5,468 16.59 287 0.87 
			 Bexley 971 4.41 2,196 9.97 283 1.28 
			 Brent 1,041 3.85 4,642 17.19 185 0.68 
			 Bromley 1,592 5.27 4,433 14.68 241 0.80 
			 Camden 1,807 7.99 5,553 24.56 391 1.73 
			 City of Westminster 2,353 9.63 4,336 17.74 439 1.80 
			 Croydon 1,365 3.98 4,366 12.74 191 0.56 
			 Ealing 1,264 4,19 6,820 22.60 292 0.97 
			 Enfield 1,248 4.45 4,357 15.53 200 0.71 
			 Greenwich 1,312 5.75 3,786 16.59 435 1.91 
			 Hackney 846 4.07 4,373 21.05 238 1.15 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham 614 3.41 4,192 23.31 200 1.11 
			 Haringey 850 3.79 4,499 20.04 158 0.70 
			 Harrow 625 2.92 2,707 12.65 154 0.72 
			 Havering 1,336 5.91 3,799 16.79 160 0.71 
			 Hillingdon 1,308 5.18 5,416 21.46 362 1.43 
			 Hounslow 923 4.34 4,197 19.75 289 1.36 
			 Islington 1,278 7.00 4,886 26.75 305 1.67 
			 Kensington and Chelsea 797 4.06 3,171 16.16 189 0.96 
			 Kingston upon Thames 523 3.42 1,231 8.04 149 0.97 
			 Lambeth 911 3.39 4,310 16.01 264 0.98 
			 Lewisham 1,087 4.39 3,962 16.01 384 1.55 
			 Merton 831 4.27 2,156 11.07 139 0.71 
			 Newham 1,216 4.94 6,561 26.65 246 1.00 
			 Redbridge 946 3.76 4,789 19.04 175 0.70 
			 Richmond upon Thames 1,032 5.54 2,193 11.77 77 0.41 
			 Southwark 1,714 6.65 5,050 19.60 287 1.11 
			 Sutton 794 4.47 2,405 13.53 155 0.87 
			 Tower Hamlets 1,252 5.87 4,334 20.33 537 2.52 
			 Waltham Forest 1,262 5.63 5,290 23.61 218 0.97 
			 Wandsworth 1,309 4.65 4,361 15.50 189 0.67 
			 Total 36,765 4.90 132,930 17.70 8,187 1.09 
			 Total London(4) 37,160 4.94 133,419 17.75 8,290 1.10 
			 Total England 312,625 6.20 719,031 14.26 37,157 0.74 
			 (1) includes offences of murder, manslaughter and infanticide. (2) includes offences of aggravated vehicle taking, theft of or from vehicle and interfering with a motor vehicle. (3) includes racially/religiously aggravated offences of less serious wounding, harassment, assault without injury, criminal damage to a dwelling, criminal damage to a building other than a dwelling, criminal damage to a vehicle and other criminal damage. (4) includes the City of London police and the Metropolitan Police Service. (5) in accordance with guidance from the Office for National Statistics, values less than 3 have been suppressed in order to protect confidentiality. Therefore total values cannot be calculated.

Crime

Boris Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many recorded crimes there were per police officer in  (a) England,  (b) London and  (c) each London borough in each year since 1997.

Vernon Coaker: The available information is given in the tables. Information for London boroughs is not available centrally prior to 2002-03.
	
		
			  Table 1: Recorded off ences per police officer (FTE)  1997 
			   Number 
			 Total London(1, 2) 29 
			 Total England(2) 37 
			 (1). includes the City of London police and the Metropolitan Police service (also includes those officers who work in central services and Heathrow).  (2). Total police officer strength figures are based on full-time equivalent figures that have been rounded to the nearest whole number. These figures exclude those officers on career breaks or maternity/paternity leave. 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 2: Recorded offences per police officer (FTE) 1998-99 to 2001-02( 1,2) 
			   1998-99  1999-2000  2000-01  2001-02 
			 Total London(3, 4) 35 39 39 40 
			 Total England(4) 41 44 42 44 
			 (1). The coverage was extended and counting rules revised from 1998/99. Figures from that date are not directly comparable with those for 1997.  (2). The data in this table is prior to the introduction of the National Crime Recording Standard. These figures are not directly comparable with those for later years.  (3). Includes the City of London police and the Metropolitan Police Service (also includes those officers who work in Central Services and Heathrow Airport).  (4). Total police officer strength figures are based on full-time equivalent figures that have been rounded to the nearest whole number. These figures exclude those officers on career breaks or maternity/paternity leave. 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 3 Recorded offences per police officer (FTE) 2002-03 to 2006-07( 1) 
			   
			  London borough( 2)  2002-03  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07 
			 Barking and Dagenham 57 58 51 52 50 
			 Barnet 66 67 68 63 54 
			 Bexley 63 60 49 55 46 
			 Brent 54 52 52 53 45 
			 Bromley 73 67 63 64 58 
			 Camden 75 64 53 49 52 
			 City of Westminster 55 48 49 46 42 
			 Croydon 62 56 51 50 46 
			 Ealing 62 54 53 55 54 
			 Enfield 61 56 49 49 46 
			 Greenwich 52 54 52 51 47 
			 Hackney 58 51 46 45 42 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham 59 55 52 47 45 
			 Haringey 62 54 52 49 44 
			 Harrow 65 55 53 50 45 
			 Havering 63 65 56 57 52 
			 Hillingdon 64 61 56 56 57 
			 Hounslow 70 64 55 54 47 
			 Islington 63 60 56 54 52 
			 Kensington and Chelsea 60 52 48 43 43 
			 Kingston upon Thames 53 59 53 49 45 
			 Lambeth 56 53 47 42 41 
			 Lewisham 50 50 54 51 52 
			 Merton 59 55 49 49 43 
			 Newham 59 52 47 50 47 
			 Redbridge 73 65 57 52 53 
			 Richmond upon Thames 59 54 53 51 44 
			 Southwark 55 53 49 47 47 
			 Sutton 56 58 58 52 50 
			 Tower Hamlets 60 52 48 44 43 
			 Waltham Forest 66 58 54 54 53 
			 Wandsworth 65 55 54 50 50 
			 Total(3) 61 56 52 50 48 
			   
			 Total London(4, 5) 38 35 32 32 29 
			 Total England(5) 45 44 40 40 38 
			 1. The data in this table takes account of the introduction of the National Crime Recording Standard in April 2002. These figures are not directly comparable with those for earlier years.  2. Police officer strength figures are only available by borough from 2002-03. These figures are based on full-time equivalent figures that have been rounded to the nearest whole number and include those officers on career breaks and maternity/paternity leave.  3. Total figures for all London boroughs exclude the crimes recorded and the police officers who work at Heathrow Airport. Officers who work in Central Services (headquarters) have also been excluded from the figures.  4. Includes the City of London police and the Metropolitan Police Service (also includes those officers who work in central Services and Heathrow Airport).  5. The total police officer strength figures for London and England exclude those officers on career breaks or maternity/paternity leave.

Crime

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many recorded instances of  (a) rape and  (b) domestic violence there were in each year since 1997 in England and Wales, broken down by police force area; and what the clear-up rates of such crimes were in each year in each area.

Vernon Coaker: From the information collected centrally on recorded crime, it is not possible to identify recorded cases of domestic violence. Such offences are not specifically defined by law and details of the individual circumstances of offences are not collected.
	Data for the number of recorded instances of rape and the clear-up/detection rate for these crimes is available for the 1997 calendar year and from 1998-99 in financial years. This followed a revision to the counting rules for recorded crime and the expanded coverage which came into effect on 1 April 1998. The figures were also affected by the revised detections guidance issued in April 1999 which formalised detection procedures, placing a greater emphasis on the evidential basis on which detections can be claimed.
	The figures were also affected by the introduction of the National Crime Recording Standard in April 2002, which required the police to record a crime unless there was "no credible evidence to the contrary". The Sexual Offences Act 2003 in May 2004 also altered the definition and coverage of sexual offences, including rape. All of these changes mean that detection rates are not comparable over these time periods.
	The Home Office carried out research published in July 2007 which found that the reduction in detection rates was likely to be largely due to changes in recording practices resulting from the introduction of the National Crime Recording Standard, counting rules and detections guidance ('Investigating and detecting recorded offences of rape', Home Office Online Report 18/07).
	New performance management arrangements have been introduced for the police and CPS on the investigation and prosecution of rape. The Home Office and Association of Chief Police Officers are also providing operational support to police forces on the implementation of recommendations from 'Without Consent', the rape inspection published in January 2007.
	
		
			  Offences recorded by the police and detection rates( 1 ) for rape offences by police force area 
			   1997  1998-99( 2)  1999-2000( 3)  2000-01  2001-02 
			  Police force area  Offences recorded  Detection rate  Offences recorded  Detection rate  Offences recorded  Detection rate  Offences recorded  Detection rate  Offences recorded  Detection rate 
			 Avon and Somerset 219 86 175 74 181 62 199 43 323 27 
			 Bedfordshire 81 70 66 56 96 43 85 34 92 25 
			 Cambridgeshire 73 79 84 62 105 56 106 50 156 46 
			 Cheshire 101 100 108 98 62 87 80 86 74 81 
			 Cleveland 37 89 56 91 51 73 37 59 54 65 
			 Cumbria 33 97 43 93 34 91 37 70 47 74 
			 Derbyshire 75 93 108 73 109 52 107 38 120 39 
			 Devon and Cornwall 164 92 178 89 165 96 184 77 181 49 
			 Dorset 68 94 55 78 66 50 80 36 122 39 
			 Durham 71 93 60 95 66 85 46 91 78 n/a 
			 Dyfed-Powys 58 95 43 91 55 89 47 109 49 76 
			 Essex 130 79 187 65 196 64 166 50 202 33 
			 Gloucestershire 36 89 54 69 70 66 90 70 53 57 
			 Greater Manchester 432 85 537 74 548 64 544 58 574 55 
			 Gwent 98 100 91 91 106 92 87 98 106 93 
			 Hampshire 199 79 180 99 249 65 274 58 303 53 
			 Hertfordshire 68 88 51 96 68 78 86 66 87 62 
			 Humberside 156 65 127 58 170 33 142 37 166 33 
			 Kent 152 92 169 85 145 90 187 57 186 56 
			 Lancashire 158 91 154 83 148 79 200 53 194 47 
			 Leicestershire 97 72 152 43 150 37 147 37 159 n/a 
			 Lincolnshire 54 124 65 82 63 87 75 67 111 50 
			 London, City of 0 0 4 0 (6)— 0 (6)— 50 9 22 
			 Merseyside 175 90 190 78 237 69 241 66 283 53 
			 Metropolitan Police 1,741 58 1,993 32 2,270 28 2,189 24 2,492 27 
			 Norfolk 73 68 99 94 89 37 114 35 120 36 
			 Northamptonshire 56 96 60 82 44 95 60 70 97 64 
			 Northumbria 125 85 275 68 249 61 227 50 290 43 
			 North Wales 95 89 73 92 96 85 101 59 128 35 
			 North Yorkshire 38 87 42 105 42 62 49 73 71 59 
			 Nottinghamshire 154 83 163 55 237 46 247 51 251 36 
			 South Wales 123 99 169 93 130 88 125 91 126 90 
			 South Yorkshire 113 96 108 79 126 88 127 75 121 72 
			 Staffordshire 104 86 114 68 184 39 197 38 210 35 
			 Suffolk 82 74 89 73 84 29 100 36 116 30 
			 Surrey 59 56 69 48 83 45 126 28 118 42 
			 Sussex 124 80 197 55 215 47 261 34 235 35 
			 Thames Valley 165 90 195 59 233 52 271 26 291 32 
			 Warwickshire 29 79 29 79 20 55 25 52 30 30 
			 West Mercia 116 91 103 87 92 64 106 56 173 44 
			 West Midlands 264 77 396 68 513 59 565 53 608 45 
			 West Yorkshire 361 90 437 83 480 76 376 71 439 55 
			 Wiltshire 71 96 88 73 81 68 78 31 89 46 
		
	
	
		
			   2002-03( 4)  2003-04  2004-05( 5)  2005-06  2006-07 
			  Police force area  Offences recorded  Detection rate  Offences recorded  Detection rate  Offences recorded  Detection rate  Offences recorded  Detection rate  Offences recorded  Detection rate 
			 Avon and Somerset 429 22 482 21 471 18 310 22 430 20 
			 Bedfordshire 121 29 147 21 163 23 195 23 149 15 
			 Cambridgeshire 200 29 232 15 236 21 200 22 209 15 
			 Cheshire 110 48 184 29 197 28 181 28 170 30 
			 Cleveland 110 41 145 31 143 22 171 38 140 34 
			 Cumbria 66 64 74 30 79 30 77 35 73 47 
			 Derbyshire 198 35 233 33 273 31 282 30 284 21 
			 Devon and Cornwall 275 30 329 19 388 26 400 18 395 19 
			 Dorset 132 25 144 17 163 17 181 17 132 27 
			 Durham 62 68 72 71 91 60 158 26 83 43 
			 Dyfed-Powys 46 91 101 25 101 35 85 18 102 28 
			 Essex 294 32 335 29 334 27 384 25 355 25 
			 Gloucestershire 122 31 107 28 115 29 161 19 160 21 
			 Greater Manchester 719 46 846 32 899 30 842 31 837 31 
			 Gwent 148 80 82 78 112 52 126 40 145 36 
			 Hampshire 358 41 462 34 616 26 656 21 662 19 
			 Hertfordshire 169 50 161 50 184 38 211 41 199 28 
			 Humberside 258 23 350 20 329 22 350 23 291 24 
			 Kent 216 38 286 27 358 22 445 22 395 23 
			 Lancashire 245 52 270 35 285 37 326 35 288 37 
			 Leicestershire 257 26 250 28 308 23 307 19 298 20 
			 Lincolnshire 137 40 163 28 178 31 187 24 155 24 
			 London, City of 3 100 4 0 7 0 6 0 8 0 
			 Merseyside 340 47 383 43 374 35 378 24 298 28 
			 Metropolitan Police 2,728 29 2,571 33 2,446 25 2,398 36 2,304 34 
			 Norfolk 185 24 204 18 190 21 230 23 165 24 
			 Northamptonshire 176 53 163 37 127 32 159 33 162 25 
			 Northumbria 341 36 338 30 344 25 359 29 345 33 
			 North Wales 114 26 140 29 159 27 170 25 106 16 
			 North Yorkshire 131 43 120 41 137 41 145 34 135 41 
			 Nottinghamshire 239 34 303 27 254 36 265 27 255 31 
			 South Wales 189 62 191 53 185 60 216 29 273 28 
			 South Yorkshire 190 40 182 38 287 30 338 24 267 27 
			 Staffordshire 251 40 248 32 306 30 292 26 285 24 
			 Suffolk 148 30 172 26 180 21 207 25 175 20 
			 Surrey 129 32 144 35 129 26 139 32 138 29 
			 Sussex 348 26 305 24 458 15 424 21 440 15 
			 Thames Valley 365 27 436 18 401 24 448 22 437 19 
			 Warwickshire 62 27 80 19 85 25 86 19 110 17 
			 West Mercia 219 37 226 35 214 31 233 27 220 20 
			 West Midlands 746 41 816 32 973 25 943 29 912 23 
			 West Yorkshire 553 42 626 31 580 25 604 25 617 19 
			 Wiltshire 155 37 139 41 111 32 148 33 157 18 
			 n/a = not available (1) Offences detected in current year may have been initially recorded in an earlier year, so some percentages may exceed 100. (2) Expanded offence coverage and revised counting rules came into effect on 1 April 1998. (3) Revised detections guidance was implemented on 1 April 1999. (4) The data in this table take account of the introduction of the National Crime Recording Standard in April 2002. These figures are not directly comparable with those for earlier years. (5) The Sexual Offences Act 2003, introduced in May 2004, altered the definition and coverage of sexual offences. (6) In accordance with guidance from the Office for National Statistics, values less than 3 have been suppressed in order to protect confidentiality. 
		
	
	—continued

Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnership

James Brokenshire: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of face the people sessions conducted by crime and disorder reduction partnerships (CDRPs); and what guidance her Department issues to CDRPs on the conduct of such sessions.

Vernon Coaker: The new statutory requirements for crime and disorder reduction partnerships (CDRPs), contained in the Crime and Disorder (Formulation and Implementation of Strategy) Regulations 2007, state that each CDRP must hold one or more public meeting a year which can be described as 'face the people' sessions. These regulations came into force in England on 1 August and in Wales on 19 November.
	The Home Office does not intend to assess the effectiveness of CDRP public meetings or 'face the people' sessions specifically. As part of the ongoing performance support provided to CDRPs, the Home Office will continue to review the effectiveness of all CDRPs as they deliver the new statutory requirements.
	Guidance to support partnerships to hold effective public meetings is contained within the recently published "Delivering Safer Communities: A guide to effective partnership working". This gives advice and examples of best practice to help partnerships on all aspects of the new requirements including a section on holding public meetings. The guidance document is available on the Crime Reduction website at:
	http://crimereduction.homeoffice.gov.uk/guidance_for_effective_partnerships.pdf.

Cumbria

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether her Department plans to move any of its offices to Westmorland and Lonsdale constituency.

Liam Byrne: My Department has no plans to move any of its offices to Westmorland and Lonsdale constituency.

Departmental Catering

Roger Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what percentage of  (a) beef,  (b) lamb,  (c) pork and  (d) dairy products used in her departmental headquarters were imported products in the most recent period for which figures are available.

Liam Byrne: I refer the hon. Member to the data published in the report deposited in the House of Commons Library on 8 November 2007 that gives the proportion of UK produce supplied to Government Departments, NHS and HM Prison Service. The House was told of the report in a written ministerial statement by my hon. Friend the Under-Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Jonathan Shaw). A copy of the report is also available on the PSFPI website at:
	http://www.defra.gov.uk/farm/policy/sustain/procurement/pdf/govt-food-usage.pdf.

Departmental Health Insurance

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many officials in  (a) her Department and  (b) each of its agencies have private health insurance provided as part of their employment package.

Liam Byrne: No officials in either  (a) the Home Office or  (b) any of its Agencies (Borders and Immigration Agency, Identity and Passport Service and Criminal Records Bureau) are provided with private health insurance as part of their employment package.

Departmental Pay

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people in her Department earned over £100,000 in each year since 1997.

Liam Byrne: The following table shows the number of people, including public appointments, in the Home Office whose gross salary exceeded £100,000.00 for the financial years from 2000-01 to 2006-07. The Home Office changed its payroll system in July 2001 and electronic records are not available for previous financial years. Individuals who have left the Department are also listed separately for clarity as a single post may have been occupied by more than one individual during a financial year.
	
		
			  Number of people whose gross salary exceeded £100,000.00 
			   Total  Number of total who left the Department during the year 
			 2000-01 11 2 
			 2001-02 20 8 
			 2002-03 24 3 
			 2003-04 26 3 
			 2004-05 38 10 
			 2005-06 47 6 
			 2006-07 56 12

Departmental Public Expenditure

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when she expects to publish her Department's autumn performance report.

Liam Byrne: The Home Office has not yet set a date for publication of its autumn performance report for 2007, however it is our intention to publish this before the house rises for the Christmas recess.

Departmental Secondment

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many secondments of staff were made  (a) to and  (b) from her Department in each year since 1997; which organisations staff were seconded (i) to and (ii) from; how many staff were seconded in each year; for how long each secondment lasted; and what the cost was of each secondment in each year.

Liam Byrne: The information requested is not collated or held centrally by the Home Office. A limited amount of data on secondments to the voluntary sector is held by the Home Office Interchange Team. Data is held for current year activity only. So far for the year 2007-08 there have been 22 secondments to the voluntary sector at a total cost of approximately £500,000.

Deportation

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people had their removal delayed by application for judicial review in each of the last three years; and what proportion of cases before the Appeal Court they comprised.

Liam Byrne: holding answer 26 November 2007
	The numbers of people who have had their removal delayed by an application for judicial review in the last three years are:
	
		
			   Number 
			 November 2004-October 2005 1,539 
			 November 2005-October 2006 1,658 
			 November 2006-October 2007 2,667 
		
	
	These figures have been obtained from internal management information and may be subject to change.
	The Border and Immigration Agency does not have the information to answer 'what proportion of cases before the Appeal Court they comprised.'

Domestic Violence: Death

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many women in each police force area were killed by a current or former male partner in each of the last 10 years for which figures are available.

Vernon Coaker: Latest available information on homicides recorded by police in England and Wales is published in 'Homicides, Firearm Offences and Intimate Violence 2005-06' (Home Office Statistical Bulletin 02/07), table 1.05 of which provides data on relationship of victims to principal suspects. The requested breakdown has been extracted from the Homicide Index and is shown in the table. Data for 2006-07 are expected to be published in late January 2008.
	
		
			  Homicides currently( 1)  recorded where female victim is partner or ex-partner of male principal suspect by police force area: England and Wales, 1996 to 2005-06( 2, 3) 
			  Recorded crime 
			  Police force area  1996  1997  1997-98  1998-99  1999-2000  2000-01  2001-02  2002-03  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06 
			  North East region
			 Cleveland 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 — 2 1 
			 Durham 1 1 1 1 1 1 3 — — 2 4 
			 Northumbria — 3 3 — 1 — 2 4 1 3 — 
			 
			  North West region
			 Cheshire 2 2 1 — — — 2 1 — 2 1 
			 Cumbria — 3 3 — — 2 — — — 4 — 
			 Greater Manchester 6 4 4 8 6 8 6 6 5 5 3 
			 Lancashire 3 3 5 3 2 7 4 3 7 4 1 
			 Merseyside 4 5 4 3 — 5 6 4 2 4 3 
			 
			  Yorkshire and the Humber region
			 Humberside 2 3 2 3 — 1 3 3 4 3 1 
			 North Yorkshire 1 — — — — — — — 1 2 2 
			 South Yorkshire 1 2 2 2 4 — 5 4 1 2 2 
			 West Yorkshire 4 5 4 5 2 5 2 3 4 7 1 
			 
			  East Midlands region
			 Derbyshire 1 — — — 1 1 — 2 1 3 — 
			 Leicestershire 2 — 1 2 1 1 3 2 4 2 2 
			 Lincolnshire 1 1 1 2 4 1 — 1 1 — 3 
			 Northamptonshire — 1 2 — — 2 2 1 1 — 3 
			 Nottinghamshire 3 1 1 1 2 2 — 2 1 1 1 
			 
			  West Midlands region
			 Staffordshire 3 4 4 — — 2 2 1 4 — 4 
			 Warwickshire — — — — — — 1 1 1 2 1 
			 West Mercia 4 1 2 2 1 2 1 1 3 2 1 
			 West Midlands 9 4 5 2 9 3 4 5 5 5 7 
			  East of England region
			 Bedfordshire 1 1 2 1 — — 4 — 1 2 2 
			 Cambridgeshire 2 — 1 2 1 1 1 1 3 1 — 
			 Essex 4 1 1 1 3 1 4 4 — 1 3 
			 Hertfordshire — 1 1 — — 1 3 2 — 1 2 
			 Norfolk 2 1 — 2 1 1 3 4 — — 1 
			 Suffolk — — — 1 2 1 2 1 1 2 2 
			 
			  London region
			 City of London — — — — — — — — — — — 
			 Metropolitan Police 8 12 16 12 16 20 18 13 19 15 13 
			 
			  South East region
			 Hampshire 6 2 2 1 4 3 4 6 4 3 1 
			 Kent 3 4 3 3 4 3 7 1 1 4 2 
			 Surrey 1 — — — — 3 1 4 2 1 1 
			 Sussex 2 4 3 3 3 5 5 5 2 1 3 
			 Thames Valley 4 7 6 1 7 2 6 3 7 3 4 
			 
			  South West region
			 Avon and Somerset 3 3 3 2 — 3 — 2 — 1 — 
			 Devon and Cornwall 2 6 5 3 4 5 2 1 2 5 2 
			 Dorset 1 — — — — 1 — 2 2 1 — 
			 Gloucestershire 1 — — 2 2 2 3 2 — 2 — 
			 Wiltshire 1 2 1 1 — — 1 2 — — 2 
			 
			  Wales
			 Dyfed Powys 1 — — — 1 — 2 2 — 1 — 
			 Gwent 1 2 2 1 — 1 — 1 1 2 1 
			 North Wales — 5 3 — 2 — 1 1 — 2 2 
			 South Wales 3 3 4 5 3 3 3 3 3 2 1 
			 
			 British Transport Police — — — — — — — — — — — 
			 
			 England and Wales 94 98 99 76 88 100 117 105 94 105 83 
			 (1) As at 9 October 2006; figures are revised as cases are dealt with by the police and by the courts, or as further information becomes available. (2) Offences are shown according to the year in which the police initially recorded the offence as homicide. This is not necessarily the year in which the incident took place or the year in which any court decision was made. (3) Data for 2006-07 are not yet available.

Drugs: Peterborough

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many drug dealers who were not UK citizens resident in the Peterborough city council area were deported in each year since 2001; and if she will make a statement.

Liam Byrne: The information requested could be obtained only through the detailed examination of individual case files at disproportionate cost. The chief executive of the Border and Immigration Agency wrote to the Home Affairs Committee on 20 November providing the most accurate and robust information on foreign national prisoners. A copy of this letter is available from the Library of the House.

EC Integration

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what discussions she has had with the Foreign Secretary on the British Council's Migration Integration Policy Index 2007 report.

Liam Byrne: holding answer 27 November 2007
	There have been no discussions between the Secretary of State for the Home Department and the Foreign Secretary about the Migration Integration Policy Index 2007 report.

Extradition

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many extradition requests were received by the UK from  (a) the USA,  (b) each of the other EU member states and  (c) other countries, in each of the last five years; and how many of those were (i) granted and (ii) refused.

Meg Hillier: For the purposes of this reply, the answer gives details of requests made to England and Wales; requests from Scotland and Northern Ireland are matters for the Scotland Office and Northern Ireland Office respectively.
	Since 1 January 2004, extradition between the UK and European Union has been conducted under the Framework Decision on the European Arrest Warrant (EAW), which was given effect in the UK by part 1 of the Extradition Act 2003. The other EU member states have been designated under part 1 of the Extradition Act 2003 at regular intervals. A separate table sets out the statistics for the EAW.
	It should be emphasised that a person is not always returned in the same year that an extradition request has been received.
	
		
			  Table 1: Extradition requests made to England and Wales, 2003-07( 1) 
			   2003  2004  2005  2006  2007 
			  Country  Received  Returned (Refused)  Received  Returned (Refused)  Received  Returned (Refused)  Received  Returned (Refused)  Received  Returned (Refused) 
			 Albania — — 7 — 2 1 (2) 8 3 12 3 (3) 
			 Argentina 2 (1) — — — — — — — — 
			 Armenia — — — — — — 1 (1) — — 
			 Australia 5 — 4 1 3 2 (2) 6 2 3 4 (2) 
			 Austria 1 1 1 — — — — — — — 
			 Azerbaijan 1 — — — 1 — — — — — 
			 Belgium 11 3 1 3 (1) — — — (3) — — 
			 Brazil — — — — — — — — 4 — 
			 Bulgaria 1 — 1 1 — — — 1 — — 
			 Canada 1 1 1 — 3 2 1 1 1 3 
			 Croatia — — 2 — 2 1 2 1 (2) — — 
			 Cyprus 1 — — — — — — — — — 
			 Czech Republic 14 3 (6) 10 1 (2) 1 4 (3)  2 (2) — — 
			 Denmark 1 — — — — — — — — — 
			 Estonia — — 2 — — 1 — — — — 
			 France 11 7 (1) 7 4 1 6 — 3 (1) — — 
			 Germany 15 8 (3) 15 7 1 7 (2) — 2 (1) — — 
			 Georgia — — — — 1 — — — — — 
			 Greece 1 1 — 1 — — — — — — 
			 Grenada — — — — — 1 — — — — 
			 Hong Kong SAR — — 1 — — — 3 — — — 
			 Hungary 2 — — — — 1 — — — — 
			 India 1 (1) — — 4 — 2 (1) — (1) 
			 Israel — — 1 — 2 — — 2 — — 
			 Italy 10 3 (1) 12 8 (3) 3 5 (4) — 4 (2) — 4 
			 Kenya — — — — — — 1 — — — 
			 Latvia — — — — — — — — — 1 
			 Lithuania 11 1 (1) 12 4 (2) — 3 — — — (2) 
			 Mauritius — — — — 1 — — — — — 
			 Moldova 1 — 2 — — — — — — — 
			 Monaco 1 — — — — 1 — — — — 
			 Morocco  — — — — — — — — — 
			 Netherlands 11 12 (6) 2 5 (1) — — — — — — 
			 Netherlands Antilles — — — — — — — — — — 
			 New Zealand — — 2 1 — — 1 1 3 — 
			 Norway 1 — — 1 1 1 (1) 1 1 1 1 
			 Peru — — — — — — 1 — 1 — 
			 Poland 2 1 4 (1) — 1 — (1) — — 
			 Portugal 6 (1) — 1 (1) — 1 — (1) — (1) 
			 Romania 1 — 3 (1) 14 2 (1) 3 1 (5) — 1 (1) 
			 Russian Federation 1 (3) 5 (1) 5 (6) 11 (2) 7 (2) 
			 Rwanda — — — — — — — — 4 — 
			 Slovenia 1 — — — — — — — — — 
			 Slovakia 1 — 1 — — 2 — — — — 
			 South Africa — 1 — 1 — 1 (1) — — 1 — 
			 Spain 5 1 — 2 (1) — 3 (2) — 1 — 1 (2) 
			 Sweden 3 3 — 1 — — — — — — 
			 Switzerland 1 2 (1) — — — 1 2 1 1 (1) 
			 Trinidad and Tobago — 1 — — — — 2 — — — 
			 Turkey 2 (1) 2 — 1 1 (2) 3 (6) 4 — 
			 Uganda 1 (1) — — — — — — — — 
			 Ukraine — — 1 — — — — — — — 
			 United States of America 20 7 (4) 42 8 (4) 8 14 (3) 17 14 (3) 10 9(2) 
			 Zambia — — 1 — — — — — — — 
			 Zimbabwe 1 (1) — — — — — — — — 
			 Total 148 56 (32) 142 50 (18) 54 62 (29) 65 40 (31) 52 27 (17) 
			 (1) Figures up until 15 November 2007. 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 2: European arrest warrants received( 1) 
			  Country  2004  2005  2006  2007 
			 Austria 3 2 2 — 
			 Belgium 15 13 2 3 
			 Bulgaria — — — — 
			 Cyprus — 4 — — 
			 Czech Republic — 5 10 12 
			 Denmark 4 1 3 — 
			 Estonia — 1 — — 
			 Finland 4 2 1 — 
			 France 11 22 12 6 
			 Germany — 42 15 13 
			 Gibraltar — — — — 
			 Greece — 3 1 2 
			 Hungary — 2 6 — 
			 Ireland 14 24 22 14 
			 Italy — 11 10 8 
			 Latvia 3 5 2 8 
			 Lithuania 29 78 55 27 
			 Luxembourg — — — — 
			 Malta — — 1 1 
			 The Netherlands 5 5 6 16 
			 Poland 11 42 80 109 
			 Portugal 11 6 4 2 
			 Romania — — 1 2 
			 Slovakia — 9 2 5 
			 Slovenia — 3 — — 
			 Spain 11 26 3 6 
			 Sweden 3 2 4 — 
			 (1) European arrest warrants received by the UK by member state (where subject has been arrested). It is a matter of policy and practice to neither confirm nor deny the existence of any extradition request ahead of a person's arrest. 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 3: Surrenders from the UK 
			  Country  2004  2005  2006  2007 
			 Austria — — 2 — 
			 Belgium 3 8 1 5 
			 Bulgaria — — — — 
			 Cyprus — — — — 
			 Czech Republic — — — 15 
			 Denmark — 3 — 2 
			 Estonia — — — — 
			 Finland 1 2 1 1 
			 France 1 4 15 8 
			 Germany — 8 16 19 
			 Gibraltar — — — — 
			 Greece — — 2 — 
			 Hungary — — 3 1 
			 Ireland 4 11 20 23 
			 Italy — — 5 9 
			 Latvia — — 2 7 
			 Lithuania 3 25 48 54 
			 Luxembourg — — — — 
			 Malta — — — 1 
			 The Netherlands 3 3 2 6 
			 Poland — 4 20 120 
			 Portugal 5 3 2 3 
			 Romania — — — 2 
			 Slovakia — — 4 4 
			 Slovenia — — — — 
			 Spain 1 3 4 6 
			 Sweden 2 1 4 1 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 4: European arrest warrant—discharges( 1) 
			  Country  Discharged 
			 Austria — 
			 Belgium 4 
			 Bulgaria — 
			 Cyprus 4 
			 Czech Republic 3 
			 Denmark — 
			 Estonia — 
			 Finland — 
			 France 9 
			 Germany 11 
			 Gibraltar — 
			 Greece — 
			 Hungary — 
			 Ireland 2 
			 Italy 5 
			 Latvia 3 
			 Lithuania 9 
			 Luxembourg — 
			 Malta — 
			 The Netherlands 7 
			 Poland 18 
			 Portugal 8 
			 Romania 1 
			 Slovakia 4 
			 Slovenia 2 
			 Spain 9 
			 Sweden 1 
			 (1) Cases where the subject has been discharged by UK court. 
		
	
	—continued

Firearms: Crime

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many  (a) gun crimes and  (b) arrests relating to gun crime there were (i) in England and (ii) in each police force area in each of the last five years.

Vernon Coaker: Available data relate to offences involving firearms (excluding air weapons) from 2001-02 up to and including 2005-06 and are given in the table. Firearms are taken to be involved in a crime if they are fired, used as a blunt instrument or used as a threat.
	The arrests collection undertaken by the Office for Criminal Justice Reform provides data only on persons arrested for recorded crime (notifiable offences) by age group, gender, ethnicity, and main offence group, i.e. violence against the person, sexual offences, robbery, burglary etc. More detailed data about specific offences do not form part of this collection.
	
		
			  Crimes recorded by the police in which firearms (excluding air weapons) were reported to have been used by police force area: England and Wales 2001-02 to 2005-06 
			   Recorded crime 
			  Police force area  2001-02( 1)  2002-03( 2)  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06 
			  North east region  
			 Cleveland 24 18 45 37 41 
			 Durham 19 16 15 21 18 
			 Northumbria 86 103 169 182 137 
			   
			  North west region  
			 Cheshire 50 31 44 61 71 
			 Cumbria 9 13 11 26 18 
			 Greater Manchester 1,361 1,240 1,275 1,268 1,200 
			 Lancashire 103 66 58 259 372 
			 Merseyside 299 318 483 491 485 
			   
			  Yorkshire and the Humber region  
			 Humberside 63 68 68 174 108 
			 North Yorkshire 28 18 23 13 15 
			 South Yorkshire 170 153 127 185 301 
			 West Yorkshire 332 333 269 318 355 
			   
			  East Midlands region  
			 Derbyshire 58 73 75 149 109 
			 Leicestershire 74 174 141 123 89 
			 Lincolnshire 22 37 26 90 72 
			 Northamptonshire 55 107 123 113 128 
			 Nottinghamshire 204 264 233 305 277 
			   
			  West Midlands region  
			 Staffordshire 116 131 108 144 128 
			 Warwickshire 53 62 102 73 76 
			 West Mercia 54 48 62 151 115 
			 West Midlands 1,289 1,101 1,138 959 946 
			  East of England region  
			 Bedfordshire 82 86 89 94 103 
			 Cambridgeshire 49 57 34 50 34 
			 Essex 98 148 145 193 280 
			 Hertfordshire 69 139 138 139 114 
			 Norfolk 26 36 33 23 29 
			 Suffolk 15 28 45 59 58 
			   
			  London region 4,197 4,202 3,891 3,697 3,884 
			   
			  South East region  
			 Hampshire 58 97 130 148 85 
			 Kent 60 64 65 100 142 
			 Surrey 40 34 88 63 87 
			 Sussex 155 136 82 67 85 
			 Thames Valley 267 362 421 437 401 
			   
			  South West region  
			 Avon and Somerset 131 119 123 196 167 
			 Devon and Cornwall 52 36 84 189 174 
			 Dorset 34 17 45 49 27 
			 Gloucestershire 89 92 108 87 77 
			 Wiltshire 26 60 53 49 43 
			   
			  Wales  
			 Dyfed Powys 26 17 37 40 21 
			 Gwent 18 52 74 85 53 
			 North Wales 6 18 11 60 88 
			 South Wales 56 74 47 104 71 
			   
			 England and Wales 10,023 10,248 10,338 11,071 11,084 
			 England and Wales excluding London region) 5,826 6,046 6,447 7,374 7,200 
			 (1) Figures for some crime categories may have been inflated by some police forces implementing the principles of the National Crime Recording Standard before 1 April 2002. (2 )The National Crime Recording Standard was introduced on 1 April 2002. Figures for some crime categories may have been inflated by this.

Foreign Workers

James Clappison: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what her estimate is of the number of non-EU citizens who have been given  (a) the right to work and  (b) the right to remain in the UK in each year since 1977.

Liam Byrne: The available information can be found in the yearly Command Paper "Control of Immigration: Statistics United Kingdom". This publication may be obtained from the Library of the House and from the Home Office Research, Development and Statistics website:
	http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/immigration1.html.

Frontiers: Security

Owen Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what progress has been made on procurement for the e-borders system; and what the planned extent of the system is.

Liam Byrne: A contract to deliver e-Borders was awarded to the Trusted Borders consortium led by Raytheon Systems Ltd on 14 November 2007. e-Borders is a multi-agency programme, led by the Border and Immigration Agency in partnership with HM Revenue and Customs, UKvisas and the police service, working with the security and intelligence agencies. Its main purpose is the collection and analysis of passenger, service and crew data provided by carriers (air, sea and rail), in respect of all journeys to and from the United Kingdom in advance of travel, supporting an intelligence led approach to operating border controls.
	Information gathered by e-Borders will provide crucial aid to security and counter-terrorist work, providing the capability to risk assess all passengers and allowing the authorities to intervene, where necessary, against those considered to be high risk.

Illegal Encampments

David Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent representations she has received on the adequacy of police powers to tackle illegal encampments; and if she will make a statement.

Vernon Coaker: holding answer 26 November 2007
	The Government are working with a number of key stakeholders to address public concerns about problems relating to unauthorised encampments through the Task Group on Site Provision and Enforcement for Gypsies and Travellers set up in 2006, chaired by Sir Brian Briscoe. The Task Group is currently finalising its report to Ministers, which is expected to be published before the end of the year. The Interim Task Group report published in March 2007 was clear that effective enforcement against unauthorised sites will only be possible when there is appropriate provision of authorised sites.

Immigration Controls: Football

Clive Betts: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if she will assess the likely effect of the proposed new points system for working migrants on professional footballers.

Liam Byrne: Detailed impact assessments of the new points based system, including on professional sportspeople, will be made available as detailed proposals are brought forward.

Opinion Leader Research

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many contracts were awarded by her Department to Opinion Leader Research in each year since 1997; and what was  (a) the title and purpose,  (b) the cost to the public purse and  (c) the dates of (i) tender, (ii) award (iii) operation and (iv) completion and report to the Department in each case.

Liam Byrne: Since 2003 the Department has let two contracts to Opinion Leader Research. The details of the contracts are as follows:
	
		
			  (a) Title and purpose of the project  (b) The cost to the public purse  (c)(i) Date project was put to tender  (c) (ii) Date awarded to Opinion Leader Research  (c)(iii) Date project carried out  (c)(iv) Date completed and findings put to the Department 
			 Factors influencing decision to apply for naturalisation in the UK 11,750 n/k 14 March 2003 17 March 2003 to 11 April 2003 25 April 2003 
			 An exploration of factors that contribute to successful dispersal of asylum seekers 12,000 n/k 9 April 2004 16 April 2004 to 20 May 2004 20 May 2004 
		
	
	To carry out a full search of all individual contracts prior to 2003 across Home Office headquarters and the executive agencies would incur disproportionate cost.

Passport: Interviews

Ben Wallace: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many passport interviews have been conducted since 1 June 2007.

Meg Hillier: The total number of interviews conducted up to Friday 16 November is 9,702. This includes 623 from the live trial, which was running before 1 June 2007.

Police: Manpower

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the total pay costs were of  (a) Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary,  (b) the National Police Improvement Agency,  (c) the Police Standards Unit and  (d) the Independent Police Complaints Commission in each year since their inception; and how many staff worked in each organisation in each year.

Tony McNulty: The total pay costs are as follows:
	 (a) Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary (HMIC)
	
		
			£ million 
			   Total staff  Total pay 
			 2006-07 137 8.9 
			 2005-06 129 7.1 
			 2004-05 128 7.0 
			 2003-04 128 6.1 
			 2002-03 — 5.8 
			 2001-02 — 5.6 
			 2000-01 — 4.5 
			 1999-2000 — 3.7 
			 1998-99 — 3.7 
			 1997-98 — 3.9 
		
	
	The first HMIs were appointed under the provisions of the County and Borough Police Act 1856. However, numbers prior to 1997-98 are not readily available.
	HMIC has been unable to provide complete staff numbers because changes in IT systems have meant data are not readily available prior to 2003-04.
	Total staff numbers include HO and seconded staff.
	 (b) National Policing Improvement Agency (NPIA)
	
		
			£ million 
			   Total staff  Total pay budget 
			 2007-08 1,834 89.9 
		
	
	The NPIA was established by the Police and Justice Act 2006 and began its work in April 2007.
	As NPIA only commenced operations this financial year no annual cost information is yet available; we have therefore provided an indicative budget for the year.
	NPIA pay budget includes NPIA civilian employees, police and other secondees, along with agency staff.
	 (c) Police Standards Unit (PSU)
	
		
			£ million 
			   Total staff  Total pay costs 
			 2006-07 22 2.5 
			 2005-06 58 3.1 
			 2004-05 59 3.6 
			 2003-04 66 2.8 
			 2002-03 (1)— (1)— 
			 2001-02 29 0.645 
			 (1) Unavailable 
		
	
	The budget and staffing data for PSU is managed at directorate level along with a number of other Home Office units. Only the figure for 2006-07 is disaggregated, all the rest include the other units.
	In July 2007 the Police Standards Unit merged with the Partnership Performance Support Unit to form the Police and Partnership Standards Unit. The complement for the new unit is 33. The rationale for the merger is explained in the PCSD Director's Report 2006-07.
	 2001 - 02
	In response to a parliamentary question on 17 June 2002,  Official Report, column 108W, we stated that the costs from 1 July 01 to the 17 June 02 were £709,000. So an estimate for the financial year 2001-02 would be £645,000.
	 2002- 03
	We have been unable to locate data for 2002-03 within the timeframe available as data are stored on an old financial system.
	 2003-04 to 2005-06
	These figures include the Police Performance and Framework Team including iQuanta, and the policy team, which from 2006-07 were counted as separate units.
	 (d) Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC)
	Total pay costs for the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) is a matter for them.

Racial Violence

Jeremy Browne: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many incidents of religious hate crime were recorded in each police force area in each of the last five years.

Tony McNulty: The available information relates to racially or religiously aggravated offences recorded by the police and is given in the table. It is not possible to identify separately those offences of a religious nature from those of a racial nature.
	
		
			  Racially or religiously aggravated offences 
			   Number of offences 
			  Police force area  2002-03  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07 
			 Avon and Somerset 900 1,256 1,431 1,326 1,337 
			 Bedfordshire 169 207 266 339 308 
			 British Transport Police 402 652 946 1088 1188 
			 Cambridgeshire 410 384 398 322 351 
			 Cheshire 376 400 438 569 557 
			 Cleveland 145 251 288 528 464 
			 Cumbria 69 116 186 232 219 
			 Derbyshire 560 600 474 494 492 
			 Devon and Cornwall 496 588 694 818 801 
			 Dorset 177 166 254 214 291 
			 Durham 371 138 154 258 304 
			 Dyfed-Powys 96 126 154 118 167 
			 Essex 558 760 807 796 922 
			 Gloucestershire 210 167 215 283 326 
			 Greater Manchester 2,353 2,864 3,203 3,398 3,677 
			 Gwent 193 240 233 289 269 
			 Hampshire 317 415 570 1,120 1,326 
			 Hertfordshire 343 730 859 985 954 
			 Humberside 302 438 488 417 655 
			 Kent 547 480 609 798 935 
			 Lancashire 860 1,085 1,183 1,363 1,238 
			 Leicestershire 809 809 980 1,007 1,055 
			 Lincolnshire 136 179 169 200 143 
			 London, City of 71 60 48 75 83 
			 Merseyside 734 943 1,061 1,420 1,423 
			 Metropolitan Police 9,853 9,468 9,444 8,769 8,226 
			 Norfolk 203 268 333 343 340 
			 Northamptonshire 303 413 389 455 422 
			 Northumbria 934 974 886 834 924 
			 North Wales 288 278 331 396 356 
			 North Yorkshire 80 54 133 205 234 
			 Nottinghamshire 635 619 551 566 715 
			 South Wales 737 794 735 713 555 
			 South Yorkshire 242 259 471 1,032 1,037 
			 Staffordshire 466 600 646 805 889 
			 Suffolk 246 297 244 240 329 
			 Surrey 407 482 510 845 588 
			 Sussex 443 552 575 710 991 
			 Thames valley 948 1,104 1,154 1,128 1,483 
			 Warwickshire 159 187 222 293 375 
			 West Mercia 527 674 609 527 499 
			 West Midlands 2,422 2,479 2,413 3,071 3,338 
			 West Yorkshire 707 1,874 2,140 2,898 2,91 
			 Wiltshire 232 244 220 260 253 
			 England and Wales 31,436 35,674 38,114 42,547 43,730 
			 (1) Racially or religiously aggravated less serious wounding, harassment, assault without injury and criminal damage.

Registration of Births Deaths Marriages and Civil Partnerships

Mark Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when she plans to provide updated guidance for the Certificate of Approval for marriage or civil partnership applications online.

Liam Byrne: holding answer 26 November 2007
	The guidance for Certificate of Approval for marriage or civil partnership applications was revised in 2006 and again in 2007 following court judgements, and these changes are reflected in the guidance currently available in the Library of the House and on
	www.ind.homeoffice.gov.uk/applying/generalcaseworking/coaformarriageorcivilpartnership
	and
	www.ind.homeoffice.gov.uk/applying/applicationforms/
	The Certificate of Approval scheme is subject to judicial review, and we will review the guidance and forms and make any amendments necessary in the light of the outcome of the judicial review.

Road Traffic Offences

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many motorists were  (a) charged with and  (b) convicted of (i) failure to accord correct precedence at pedestrian crossings, (ii) failure to comply with traffic signs, (iii) speeding offences, (iv) driving after consuming alcohol or taking drugs, (v) reckless driving and (vi) driving while disqualified in (A) each police force area and (B) England and Wales, in each year since 1997.

Vernon Coaker: Information on drivers charged with motoring offences is not collected centrally.
	Available information on convictions for the offences listed is held by the Ministry of Justice and copies can be found in the House Library. These cover the total findings of guilt at all courts, from 1997 to 2005 (latest available).
	2006 data will be available next year.

Seasonal Agricultural Workers' Scheme

Hugh Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what effect she expects the doctrine of Community preference to have on the countries from which workers come under the seasonal agricultural workers scheme; whether she has had discussions with her Polish, Belgian and Cypriot counterparts on their decisions to allow seasonal agricultural workers from non-EU countries to continue to work; and if she will make a statement.

Liam Byrne: holding answer 19 November 2007
	The accession treaty for Bulgaria and Romania requires the UK to give preference to accession state workers over non-EU workers. Accordingly, non EU nationals cannot be treated more favourably.
	While transitional restrictions continue to be in place on Romanian and Bulgarian nationals' access to the UK labour market, we will not be providing for migration from nationals outside the EU on specific low-skilled schemes. Therefore in 2008, applications to the seasonal agricultural workers scheme will only be accepted from Romania and Bulgaria.
	This was confirmed in my written ministerial statement issued on 30 October 2007 regarding the application of SAWS from 2008:
	"From 2008 applications to the existing 'Seasonal Agricultural Workers Scheme' will be accepted only from Romania and Bulgaria—meaning a potential increase from 6,500 A2 migrant workers through this scheme this year to 16,250 next year. The overall number of migrants coming to the UK through SAWS is unchanged."
	No new statement is planned regarding SAWS.
	The Government have ongoing discussions with European counterparts on a range of issues including accession. It is for each EU member state to determine the application of the community preference principle to their labour market.

Seasonal Agricultural Workers' Scheme

Hugh Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment she has made of the likely effect of the proposals in the Communication from the European Commission on circular migration and mobility partnerships between the European Union and third countries on the Government's review of the Seasonal Agricultural Workers scheme.

Liam Byrne: holding answer 19 November 2007
	While the Government recognise many of the principles underpinning the European Commission's communication, for example close co-operation and dialogue between countries, they do not believe that the UK can benefit from encouraging low skilled migration from outside the European Union. There is sufficient labour within the enlarged EU to fill all low skilled vacancies including the Seasonal Agricultural Worker scheme.
	The SAWS quota for 2008 will be 16,250, and applications will only be accepted from Romania and Bulgaria.

Seasonal Agricultural Workers' Scheme

Hugh Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  whether she had discussions at EU level on the UK's decision to restrict 40 per cent. of the Seasonal Agricultural Workers scheme to Bulgarian and Romanian nationals; and if she will make a statement;
	(2)  whether she has held discussions at EU level on the principle of community preference in respect of the Seasonal Agricultural Worker scheme.

Liam Byrne: holding answer 20 November 2007
	The Home Office has not had discussions with EU partners on either of these points.

Speed Limits: Fines

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many drivers were fined for speeding in  (a) England and Wales and  (b) in each police force area in each year since 1997; and how much was paid in fines in each area in each year.

Vernon Coaker: Information on the total revenue from speed limit convictions is not collected centrally.
	Available information collected centrally and held by the Ministry of Justice identifies the amount of court imposed fines for such offences within each police force area together with the number of fixed penalties offered. Not all fines and fixed penalties will have been paid.
	Available information from 1997 to 2005 (latest available) showing the total number of court imposed fines and fixed penalty notices issued for speeding offences in England and Wales and by police force area are provided in tables A and B respectively.
	2006 data will be available next year.
	
		
			  Table A: number of fines( 1,2)  imposed at magistrates courts for speed limit offences( 3)  by police force area, England and Wales, 1997-2005 
			  Number of offences 
			  Police force area  1997  1998  1999  2000  2001  2002  2003  2004  2005 
			 Avon and Somerset 7,738 5,643 3,532 4,344 5,709 4,974 6,815 6,923 6,358 
			 Bedfordshire 1,746 3,432 1,913 2,019 2,332 1,551 3,521 1,171 4,507 
			 Cambridgeshire 4,932 3,130 2,653 1,625 756 521 1,163 1,754 2,191 
			 Cheshire 2,709 3,839 3,621 4,591 3,899 3,969 3,088 4,153 2,793 
			 Cleveland 511 976 1,001 984 1,323 1,120 1,282 1,665 1,093 
			 Cumbria 2,073 2,181 2,068 1,521 1,548 1,604 2,002 2,366 2,549 
			 Derbyshire 3,366 3,854 4,209 4,933 6,005 3,685 3,527 3,329 2,853 
			 Devon and Cornwall 3,976 3,229 3,488 4,247 3,809 3,415 4,862 4,869 5,102 
			 Dorset 737 695 792 1,213 902 999 1,486 1,666 3,058 
			 Durham 345 408 905 1,364 1,749 1,603 1,042 716 391 
			 Essex 5,034 4,743 6,618 6,275 9,131 14,570 9,263 8,292 9,960 
			 Gloucestershire 2,343 1,796 1,509 2,131 1,835 877 800 786 750 
			 Greater Manchester 10,837 14,458 13,228 14,505 10,375 7,182 6,265 4,745 7,220 
			 Hampshire 5,565 6,316 7,146 5,995 5,416 4,949 5,270 4,237 5,050 
			 Hertfordshire 2,116 2,838 2,771 2,277 2,088 2,334 2,167 1,806 2,990 
			 Humberside 959 1,037 2,828 1,906 2,434 1,131 1,179 3,592 3,241 
			 Kent 1,533 3,548 1,814 2,245 2,367 1,670 2,995 3,223 3,636 
			 Lancashire 3,904 5,067 5,257 5,166 4,370 3,833 6,759 5,030 4,742 
			 Leicestershire 1,180 1,858 2,255 2,001 1,750 1,726 3,036 2,173 2,184 
			 Lincolnshire 1,880 2,103 3,874 3,528 4,131 3,692 4,257 4,356 4,362 
			 London, City of 125 232 232 163 101 560 1,137 1,790 6,200 
			 Merseyside 3,110 2,002 2,155 1,322 635 579 911 893 679 
			 Metropolitan Police 10,988 11,045 9,203 8,269 8,840 7,530 7,080 6,646 4,361 
			 Norfolk 1,225 1,380 1,697 1,374 1,449 1,269 2,372 2,764 2,824 
			 Northamptonshire 228 92 557 246 403 222 2,836 4,001 3,342 
			 Northumbria 2,100 2,304 2,569 3,519 2,352 2,555 2,207 3,770 2,886 
			 North Yorkshire 2,037 1,766 1,408 1,208 1,412 1,236 1,515 2,034 1,545 
			 Nottinghamshire 580 1,083 1,236 1,332 1,707 2,025 3,780 4,146 4,593 
			 South Yorkshire 2,235 2,304 2,265 2,484 2,587 1,776 1,181 2,584 4,040 
			 Staffordshire 2,663 3,196 3,239 1,815 929 1,091 2,220 4,449 4,408 
			 Suffolk 1,041 1,455 1,648 1,210 1,236 1,266 763 1,820 3,213 
			 Surrey 1,467 2,137 3,220 2,911 3,457 2,005 1,493 279 2,875 
			 Sussex 3,825 3,740 3,258 3,492 2,619 1,745 2,783 247 3,353 
			 Thames Valley 9,507 14,264 10,814 7,801 9,190 10,989 9,339 8,862 8,290 
			 Warwickshire 1,145 1,296 2,960 4,636 3,624 1,743 2,323 1,707 1,842 
			 West Mercia 2,259 2,305 2,259 2,696 2,586 2,214 1,320 383 2,023 
			 West Midlands 5,652 8,622 7,339 3,455 3,949 4,706 5,069 7,362 5,397 
			 West Yorkshire 3,738 4,245 5,553 5,619 4,442 2,295 3,349 4,263 5,204 
			 Wiltshire 4,484 5,428 5,669 2,301 2,163 2,678 4,037 4,022 4,180 
			 England 121,893 140,047 138,763 128,723 125,610 113,889 126,494 128,874 146,285 
			   
			 Dyfed Powys 634 767 771 913 650 614 1,548 1,231 1,904 
			 Gwent 4,728 6,349 7,393 4,036 2,813 2,238 2,645 2,270 2,094 
			 North Wales 1,364 1,538 1,594 2,810 2,655 3,834 4,319 4,597 4,612 
			 South Wales 1,986 2,651 2,706 2,706 1,754 1,980 2,924 4,146 3,350 
			 Wales 8,712 11,305 12,464 10,465 7,872 8,666 11,436 12,244 11,960 
			   
			 Total England and Wales 130,605 151,352 151,227 139,188 133,482 122,555 137,930 141,118 158,245 
			 (1) May include cases where a fixed penalty notice was issued and not paid and referred to court. (2) Magistrates courts data only. Fines given at the Crown Court total nationally (England and Wales) less than 20 each year. (3) Offences under the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984 and the Motor Vehicles (Speed Limits on Motorways) Regulations 1973  Notes: 1. It is known that for some police force areas, the reporting of court proceedings in particular those relating to summary motoring offences are less than complete. 2. Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their limitations are taken into account when those data are used. 
		
	
	
		
			  Table B: fixed penalty notices issued( 1)  for speed limit offences( 2)  by police force area, England and Wales, 1997-2005 
			  Number of offences 
			  Police force area  1997  1998  1999( 3)  2000( 3)  2001( 3)  2002( 3)  2003( 3)  2004  2005 
			 Avon and Somerset 7,294 18,327 25,897 36,122 30,339 53,846 99,405 85,331 67,933 
			 Bedfordshire 8,700 10,255 18,008 16,707 13,415 40,338 66,709 56,762 44,736 
			 Cambridgeshire 14,837 13,818 14,562 8,708 6,777 15,435 28,510 19,802 44,997 
			 Cheshire 10,765 23,196 16,393 15,356 16,694 13,578 29,564 40,306 25,056 
			 Cleveland 3,239 10,734 7,717 23,228 24,160 25,264 24,729 19,939 24,912 
			 Cumbria 4,882 4,919 5,058 4,103 3,649 5,797 24,692 31,531 27,441 
			 Derbyshire 17,438 22,785 21,771 18,291 24,949 71,965 44,517 44,412 30,905 
			 Devon and Cornwall 36,150 32,757 33,682 28,091 33,389 31,144 63,916 91,662 53,474 
			 Dorset 11,172 14,738 14,815 18,305 19,605 18,686 63,185 71,832 79,522 
			 Durham 3,213 3,930 4,586 9,180 14,156 7,697 6,538 4,184 2,816 
			 Essex 48,123 19,282 38,097 56,010 87,038 101,063 66,281 68,852 85,745 
			 Gloucestershire 6,260 8,714 6,268 5,781 4,097 3,898 3,139 4,913 10,849 
			 Greater Manchester 54,694 51,145 64,318 59,765 50,448 35,861 44,903 43,531 59,478 
			 Hampshire 27,460 34,555 46,709 27,566 28,995 31,867 45,324 52,587 58,750 
			 Hertfordshire 17,604 14,063 25,687 23,956 23,474 23,203 28,696 61,637 49,738 
			 Humberside 9,735 13,759 12,671 22,209 17,228 13,399 25,755 52,288 48,494 
			 Kent 28,706 28,009 18,954 24,617 23,044 36,645 54,594 66,661 53,289 
			 Lancashire 23,813 32,810 35,335 29,683 27,993 158,163 96,660 63,233 63,568 
			 Leicestershire 5,612 9,729 8,791 8,094 7,750 17,903 45,417 26,357 7,281 
			 Lincolnshire 6,588 12,368 17,913 26,319 31,487 27,490 27,970 29,258 32,613 
			 London, City of 520 907 2,423 353 713 4,782 4,864 6,358 10,275 
			 Merseyside 11,808 15,373 15,968 7,385 4,100 6,484 8,883 8,058 18,411 
			 Metropolitan Police 45,488 36,690 32,061 54,843 58,412 53,334 80,213 104,920 126,426 
			 Norfolk 4,895 5,379 9,267 4,783 5,166 17,116 31,640 26,938 25,117 
			 Northamptonshire 3,722 8,836 7,772 34,809 79,627 60,459 49,902 49,108 47,866 
			 Northumbria 25,693 34,918 37,472 24,265 40,726 41,050 69,018 94,319 55,708 
			 North Yorkshire 11,679 9,924 6,908 5,295 7,436 5,412 5,836 5,971 4,923 
			 Nottinghamshire 4,625 6,289 5,512 23,766 24,556 35,771 53,276 53,188 53,696 
			 South Yorkshire 39,062 31,585 23,544 20,987 21,566 16,096 51,418 42,635 65,352 
			 Staffordshire 22,552 22,044 14,656 13,969 20,372 29,094 47,565 41,249 46,219 
			 Suffolk 7,271 12,640 18,088 12,596 12,416 9,477 16,606 40,847 40,029 
			 Surrey 5,340 10,252 11,035 12,072 10,424 6,052 7,057 8,200 17,509 
			 Sussex 25,124 24,862 22,370 24,990 18,513 23,550 60,364 45,619 58,606 
			 Thames Valley 53,285 62,827 46,034 71,888 154,524 121,677 123,586 92,834 97,049 
			 Warwickshire 1,857 2,510 2,745 2,099 3,136 14,999 27,737 34,206 40,401 
			 West Mercia 15,392 15,502 18,478 22,150 30,504 29,098 78,408 57,844 53,711 
			 West Midlands 9,378 11,586 9,546 5,668 15,806 17,762 43,542 58,052 46,612 
			 West Yorkshire 24,103 29,635 24,791 24,595 20,937 32,126 70,011 68,827 66,031 
			 Wiltshire 11,330 8,494 9,319 16,351 17,941 27,975 42,738 50,641 52,412 
			 England 669,409 730,146 755,221 844,955 1,035,562 1,285,556 1,763,168 1,824,892 1,797,950 
			   
			 Dyfed Powys 6,708 9,272 8,222 8,840 6,868 12,343 3,072 2,221 1,435 
			 Gwent 5,263 4,214 2,050 16,518 13,209 2,960 1,013 859 506 
			 North Wales 9,146 9,920 11,141 16,980 20,245 44,459 61,645 51,069 74,485 
			 South Wales 22,227 27,464 28,850 54,383 75,224 61,948 65,852 45,343 45,189 
			 Wales 43,344 50,870 50,263 96,721 115,546 121,710 131,582 99,492 121,615 
			   
			 Total England and Wales 712,753 781,016 805,484 941,676 1,151,108 1,407,266 1,894,750 1,924,384 1,919,565 
			 (1) Only covers notices paid where there is no further action. (2) Offences under the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984 and the Motor Vehicles (Speed Limits on Motorways) Regulations 1973. (3) Revised since original publication following amendments received from forces.  Note: Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative systems generated by police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their limitations are taken into account when those data are used.

Theft: Lead

Jeremy Browne: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate she has made of the number of thefts of lead from roofs in the last 12 months; and if she will make a statement.

Tony McNulty: Statistics concerning the number of thefts of lead from roofs are not available. Such offences would be recorded under the 'other theft' classification and cannot be separately identified from other offences recorded within that classification.

Touting: Tickets

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many criminal proceedings involving alleged ticket touting at football matches under section 166 of the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994 have been pursued since the Act came into force; and how many convictions have been secured.

Vernon Coaker: Detailed information on football-related arrests has been collated by the Football Banning Orders Authority since the football season 2001-2002, when the existing banning order framework was introduced. The table provides details of prosecutions, convictions and cautions in respect of ticket touting offences during the previous six football seasons.
	
		
			  Prosecutions under section 166 of the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994, England and Wales, 2001-2007 football seasons 
			  Football season  Prosecutions  Convictions  Cautions 
			 2001-02 96 28 21 
			 2002-03 56 25 18 
			 2003-04 42 25 7 
			 2004-05 72 28 7 
			 2005-06 47 25 6 
			 2006-07 (1)24 13 8 
			 (1) A number of prosecutions for offences committed during season 2006-07 are currently in the Criminal Justice System  Source: Football Banning Orders Authority.

UK Passport Agency

Ben Wallace: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department where the 69 local offices to be opened by the UK Passport Agency for the purpose of interviews are.

Meg Hillier: The UK Passport Agency became the Identity and Passport Service in April 2006.
	The locations of the passport interview offices are as follows:
	Belfast
	Newcastle
	Peterborough
	Liverpool
	Swansea
	Sheffield
	Stoke on Trent
	Reading
	Lincoln
	London
	Oban
	Cheltenham
	Newport IOW
	Northampton
	Abertystwyth
	Sleaford
	Bury St. Edmunds
	Armagh
	Berwick Upon Tweed
	Omagh
	Exeter
	Derby
	Brighton/Hastings(1)
	Glasgow
	Leicester
	Leeds
	Crawley
	Birmingham
	Wrexham
	Bristol
	Portsmouth
	Scarborough
	Yeovil
	Kingston Upon Hull
	Carlisle
	Dover
	Shrewsbury
	Coleraine
	Ripon
	Warwick
	Kendal
	Bournemouth
	Selkirk
	Kilmarnock(2)
	Dumfries
	Kings Lynn
	Plymouth
	Newport
	Chelmsford
	Edinburgh
	Manchester
	Luton
	Middlesbrough
	Ipswich
	Blackburn
	Stirling
	Norwich
	Inverness
	Aberdeen
	York
	Redruth
	Wick
	Andover
	South Molton
	Swindon
	Oxford
	St. Austell
	Dundee
	Maidstone
	(1)( )We are unable to acquire premises in Hastings and are currently searching for premises in Brighton
	(2) We are in the process of acquiring a lease for premises in Kilmarnock.
	.

Workers Registration Scheme

James Clappison: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate she has made of the number of A8 workers  (a) working in the UK and  (b) who have come to work in the UK since May 2004 who have not registered with the worker registration scheme because of (i) self-employment and (ii) another reason.

Liam Byrne: The number of approved initial registrations under the Worker Registration Scheme between May 2004 and September 2007 was 715,000. The Accession (Immigration and Worker Registration) Regulations 2004 do not require Accession state nationals to notify the Home Office when they cease employment or leave the UK. As such the aforementioned figure is cumulative and shows the number of Accession state nationals who have registered their initial employment since May 2004.
	The Home Office does not monitor the number of Accession state nationals exempt from the Worker Registration Scheme who come to the UK to work. This includes individuals who are working as self-employed and others covered by an exemption in the Accession (Immigration and Worker Registration) Regulations 2004.
	Figures stated in this response are taken from the Accession Monitoring Report (May 2004—September 2007) which was published 20 November 2007.

Youth Justice Board

James Brokenshire: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of Youth Justice Board projects to prevent youth crime and antisocial behaviour as part of the commitments under the Respect Action Plan.

Vernon Coaker: Since 2004, the Government have invested over £45 million in youth offending teams to fund targeted youth crime and antisocial behaviour prevention activities for young people at most risk.
	By November 2007 there were over 500 Safer Schools Partnerships (SSPs), 200 Youth Inclusion and Support Panels (YISPs), 110 Youth Inclusion Programmes (YIPs) and 120 Parenting Programmes. We estimate that over 25,000 children and young people received targeted support from these programmes during 2007.
	An evaluation by the university of Newcastle, published in October 2007, concluded that YISPs improved the mental health and school results of the young participants. A recent interim evaluation of YIPs concluded that they were responsible for a substantial reduction in offending and arrest rates for the most at risk. Evaluations of SSPs have shown they reduce truancy rates in comparison with non-SSP schools.
	A full independent evaluation of the YJB's prevention programmes by the university of York is due to be presented in an interim report by March 2008.

JUSTICE

Departmental Computers

David Gauke: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many of his Department's  (a) computers and  (b) laptops have been stolen in 2007; and what the value of those items was.

David Hanson: One office desktop computer and 26 laptops have been stolen from the Ministry of Justice in 2007. The total replacement value of these items is approximately £50,000.
	The losses were from a variety of locations across England and Wales. There have been no reported security breaches.

Departmental Public Participation

Nick Herbert: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how much his Department has spent on  (a) citizens' juries,  (b) focus groups and  (c) other deliberative forms of public opinion research in each month since January 2006.

Michael Wills: The following table gives the details of focus groups and other deliberative forms of public opinion research carried out by the Ministry of Justice since January 2006, including the month of the fieldwork and the total cost of the project. The Ministry of Justice has undertaken 18 projects involving focus groups, and two projects involving other deliberative forms of public opinion research. There have been no citizens' juries in this period.
	The Department undertakes research including focus groups and deliberative research on various subjects when this is the most effective and appropriate means of building up an evidence base to support the development and delivery of policy and public services. We particularly use focus groups and deliberative research when the issues considered are complex and require a more in-depth engagement with respondents to understand their perspective and views.
	These cost £256,488 for work contracted in 2005-06; £611,822 for work contracted in 2006-07; and £49,811 in work contracted in 2007 to the present day.
	
		
			  Name of the project  Type of research:  (a) citizen juries  (b) Focus groups  (c) other deliberative forms of public opinion research  Approximate month(s) of fieldwork, where available  Total spend in 2005-06 (exc. VAT)  Total spend in 2006-07 (exc. VAT)  Total spend in 2007-08 (exc. VAT) up to now 
			  Items contracted in 2005-06   107,831 148,657 0 
			256,488 
			 Witness Charter Focus Groups Focus group December 2005 to March 2006 5,618 — — 
			 Green Paper. Rebuilding Lives: Supporting Victims of Crime consultation Focus group February 2006 55,200 — — 
			 MATV Pilot and DVD for witnesses pilot Focus group February 2006 and April 2006 5,218 114,506 — 
			 Confidence in the Criminal Justice System: What lies beneath? Focus group March 2006 17,495 — — 
			 Public Attitudes to Alternatives to Prosecution Focus group March/April 2006 24,300 16,200 — 
			 Information needs of Receivers/Attorneys Focus group June 2006 — 4,451 — 
			 Avon and Somerset Criminal Justice Board Victim and Witness Focus Group Project Evaluation. Grant awarded to Avon and Somerset LCJB as part of a wider competitive Delivery Fund for LCJBs to improve the quality of information provided to victims and witnesses. Focus group March 2007 — 13,500 — 
			   
			  Items contracted in 2006-07   0 360,412 251,410 
			611,822 
			 Public attitudes towards summary justice in England and Wales Focus group April/May 2006 — 41,340 — 
			 Operation of Multi Agency Public Protection Arrangements (MAPPA) Focus group October and November 2006 — 25,090 — 
			 What's cost got to do with it?: the impact of changing court fees on users. Note: Focus groups were only one part of the project Focus group October/November 2006 — 48,480 — 
			 Public panel scrutiny of the draft Coroners Bill Focus group November 2006 — 13,182 — 
			 Citizenship Insight Project Focus group Late 2006 — 31,120 90,610 
			 Community Justice Leicester Other deliberative public opinion research February to September 2007 — — 30,000 
			 Customer Expectation Survey Focus group April/May 2007 — — 37,000 
			 Improving public confidence in the Criminal Justice System; inform, persuade and remind. Focus group August 2007 — 151,200 19,800 
			 Community Justice Merthyr Tydfil Focus group 2006-07 — — 24,000 
			 The Victims Advisor Panel Other deliberative public opinion research Ongoing — 50,000 50,000 
			   
			  Items contracted in 2007-08   0 0 49,811 
			49,811 
			 Research on development of the Before The Event legal expenses insurance Focus group June to August 2007 — — 20,011 
			 Six public focus groups testing of wording of the Departmental Strategic Objectives Focus group September 2007 — — 19,800 
			 Justice and Schools Focus group October 2007 — — 10,000 
			107,831 509,069 301,221 
			 Total spend   918,121 
			  Note: Please note costs refer to complete project which often includes more than just focus groups or other deliberative research.

Environment Protection: Fixed Penalties

Jeremy Browne: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many and what percentage of fixed penalty notices issued for environmental offences were paid in full within the 14 day deadline in each year since 1999.

Jonathan R Shaw: I have been asked to reply.
	DEFRA does not collect data on the number of fixed penalty notices that were paid within the 14 day period.
	The number of fixed penalty notices issued and paid to local authorities since 1999 is shown in the following table.
	Figures for 2006-2007 will be published shortly.
	
		
			  April to March  Number. of fixed penalties issued by local authorities  Number of fixed penalties paid to local authorities 
			 1999-2000 2,970 1,563 
			 2000-01 2,247 1,226 
			 2001-02 2,311 1,954 
			 2002-03 12,820 4,898 
			 2003-04 7,567 3,871 
			 2004-05 25,216 11,371 
			 2005-06 33,033 18,002

Home Detention Curfews: Foreigners

Nick Herbert: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many people granted home detention curfew in the last 12 months were foreign nationals.

David Hanson: The latest available information relates to 2005. Of the 17,296 prisoners released on home detention curfew in 2005, there were 1,154 foreign nationals. This represented 7 per cent. of all releases on HOC.
	Foreign national prisoners who are liable to deportation at the end of their sentence are not eligible for release on home detention curfew.
	These figures have been drawn from administrative IT systems, which, as with any large scale recording system, are subject to possible errors with data entry and processing.

Prisoners Release: Domestic Violence

Nick Herbert: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many of those released on end of custody licence between 29 June 2007 and 31 October 2007 had been convicted of domestic violence offences.

David Hanson: Domestic violence is not a specific offence and the information requested is therefore not available.
	Information on the numbers of ECL releases, by offence group, for September 2007, is published in the monthly publication 'End of Custody Licence releases and recalls' available from the website:
	http://www.iustice.gov.uk/publications/endofcustodylicence.htm.
	ECL was introduced as a temporary measure and we will keep under review the length of time it will remain in use in the light of new prison capacity coming on stream and the review by Lord Carter.

Security Breaches

Nick Herbert: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many acknowledged security breaches there have been of  (a) Libra,  (b) C-NOMIS,  (c) ViSOR and  (d) other IT systems controlled by his Department.

David Hanson: There have been no security breaches of the Libra or C-NOMIS systems.
	ViSOR is a Home Office system, and in the areas to which the Ministry of Justice has access, there have been no security breaches
	A small number of incidents involving other IT systems have been investigated and no security breach involving loss of information from the Department was found to have occurred.

COMMUNITIES AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT

Building Regulations: Digital Broadcasting

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government 
	(1)  whether she plans to make any changes to the building regulations to support digital switchover;
	(2)  what standards or minimum requirements for digital television receiving infrastructure are included in the building regulations to support digital switchover;
	(3)  what estimate she has made of the proportion of newly-built dwellings for multiple occupation equipped with communal digital television receiving infrastructure.

Iain Wright: There are currently no requirements for the provision of digital television receiving infrastructure contained within the building regulations. Therefore, we do not collect any data on the proportion of newly built dwellings equipped with communal digital television receiving infrastructure.
	We have considered changes to the building regulations to support the provision of data services, and the digital switchover. However, this is a fast-moving area of technology and we therefore consider it unsuited to prescriptive regulation which could quickly become out of date. In addition, a public consultation exercise undertaken by the Department in 2003 indicated a preference for a non-regulatory option.
	We are therefore working with industry on a non-mandatory good practice guidance document on data ducting infrastructure for new homes which we hope to publish shortly.

Community Relations: Religion

Paul Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the statement of the Prime Minister of 14 November 2007,  Official Report, columns 667-72, on national security, how the £70 million for community projects devoted to countering extremism announced by the Prime Minister will be spent; and how much  (a) was spent in 2006-07 and  (b) will be spent in (i) 2007-08 and (ii) each of the next three years.

Parmjit Dhanda: In his statement of 14 November, my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister confirmed that £70 million is being invested in community projects that are dedicated to countering violent extremism over the next three years (financial years 2008-09 to 2010-11).
	My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State announced on 31 October that around £25 million of that would be invested in national schemes to directly support communities, including:
	Equipping faith leaders with the skills and understanding required to lead communities, building their capacity to engage with young people on the challenges they face, including extremism. For example, ensuring imams can communicate more effectively with young people;
	Support communities to broaden the provision of citizenship education in mosque schools, equipping young people themselves with the understanding and arguments to reject extremists' messages;
	Developing new minimum standards for public institutions (e.g. prisons, universities) engaging imams working with young or vulnerable people;
	Supporting the Charity Commission's work to improve governance standards in faith institutions, including mosques;
	Increase the provision of leadership training available to Muslim communities, particularly women and young people.
	Further announcements will be made as and when the details of the funding are decided.
	My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State also announced £45 million would be available to local authorities and their community partners. This will build on work funded by the Preventing Violent Extremism Pathfinder Fund in 2007-08, guidance on which can be found at www.communities.gov.uk/communities/preventingextremism. Further guidance will be issued in due course.
	On 26 November 2007, the Department for Communities and Local Government allocated a budget of £8.7 million of programme funding for preventing extremism during the financial year 2007-08.
	In the 2006-07 financial year £1.4 million of programme funding was spent on projects to prevent violent extremism by the Department for Communities and Local Government.

Community Relations: Religion

Paul Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the statement of the Prime Minister of 14 November 2007,  Official Report, columns 667-72, on national security, which Muslim women were consulted on the new advisory group on Muslim women announced by the Prime Minister.

Parmjit Dhanda: The National Muslim Women's Advisory Group (NMWAG) is an independent informal group, which will advise the Department for Communities and Local Government on issues to empower Muslim women and increase their participation in civic, economic and social life.
	NMWAG comprises a group of women who are in positions of leadership or are working with the communities. They will act as role models and represent the views and concerns of grass-roots Muslim women.
	The group will be formally launched in January 2008.

Community Relations: Religion

Paul Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the statement of the Prime Minister of 14 November 2007,  Official Report, columns 667-72, on national security, what the remit is of the new advisory group in relation to Muslim women announced by the Prime Minister; who she expects its members to be; what she expects its cost to be; and if she will make a statement.

Parmjit Dhanda: The National Muslim Women's Advisory Group (NMWAG) is an independent informal group, which will advise the Department for Communities and Local Government on issues to empower Muslim women and increase their participation in civic, economic and social life.
	NMWAG comprises a group of women who are in positions of leadership or are working with the communities. They will act as role models and represent the views and concerns of grass-roots Muslim women.
	The Department for Communities and Local Government has an allocation of £70 million over the next three years for preventing extremism. Of that, £45 million will be given to local authorities for community projects at local level and £25 million will be used to support a wide range of national initiatives on a range of issues including the women's advisory group. The exact allocation to the advisory group from this budget has not yet been decided. Actual running costs are expected to be minimal.

Construction

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many new commercial and public-sector developments measuring over 1,000 square metres were built in the UK in 2006.

Iain Wright: The information is not available in the precise form requested. Information from the Valuation Office Agency (VOA) shows that there were around 1,140 retail properties, offices (including offices for public sector use), factories and warehouses built in England and Wales in 2005 that measured over 1,000 square metres. Certain public-sector properties such as schools and hospitals are not included in information provided by the VOA and are therefore excluded from the figure. The figure of 1,140 includes properties that were significantly extended in 2005 (where the floor space was more than doubled), as well as newly built properties. Information on properties built in 2006 will not be available until February 2008.
	Information from the VOA covers England and Wales only. Information on developments in Scotland and Northern Ireland would need to be requested from the respective administrations.

Council Housing: Energy

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what guidance her Department provides for local authorities on sustainable ways of replacing windows in local authority-owned homes, with particular reference to the policy of Birmingham city council of replacing windows with UPVC double-glazed units.

Iain Wright: Local authorities are responsible for investment decisions relating to their own stock. We have not issued guidance on sustainable ways of replacing windows in local authority-owned homes.

Crime Prevention

James Brokenshire: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government who the members are of the ministerial group to which the cross-departmental review on how best to engage communities in the fight against crime has been referred.

Edward Miliband: I have been asked to reply.
	The ministerial group comprises the Home Secretary (Chair), the Secretary of State for Justice, the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, the Attorney-General and the Minister for the Cabinet Office.

Departmental NDPBs

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the  (a) budget and  (b) remit is of each non-departmental public body sponsored by her Department; who the chairman is of each; and to what salary, including bonuses and expenses, each chairman is entitled.

Hazel Blears: The most recent information can be found on the Cabinet Office website at
	http://www.civilservice.gov.uk/documents/pdf/public_bodies/publicbodies2006.pdf
	We are currently collating information to 31 March 2007, which will be published on my Department's website in due course.

Departmental Public Participation

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what opinion polls the Department has conducted of  (a) the public and  (b) staff since 27 June 2007; and what the (i) name of the firm employed to conduct the poll, (ii) purpose and (iii) cost to the public purse was in each case.

Parmjit Dhanda: The information is as follows:
	Since 27 June,
	 (a) there are ongoing surveys and research on homebuying reform. Work undertaken to date by GfK cost 40,000 plus VAT;
	 (b) the Human Resources Directorate conducted the second of four quarterly staff surveys. This was undertaken by Ipsos Mori at a cost of 37,000 plus VAT and measured staff opinions on a range of internal management issues.
	In addition, we conducted a pilot employee engagement survey of 400 staff at a cost of £11,000 including VAT. This was undertaken by Ipsos MORI and will help the Department to assess the level of employee engagement and identify the key drivers which would increase engagement levels.

Homelessness: Expenditure

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much was spent in the  (a) Wakefield and  (b) Hemsworth constituencies on homelessness by (i) central Government and (ii) local authorities in each of the last five years.

Iain Wright: Since 2003-04, the majority of the Government's homelessness grants have been allocated to local authorities to support them in their work on tackling and preventing homelessness effectively. Before that, the majority of funding went directly to the voluntary sector. We do however continue to provide homelessness funding directly to some voluntary sectors, where appropriate.
	All local authority homelessness grants are allocated to individual councils and not constituency areas. It would be the responsibility of the local authority to spend this grant as it saw fit to tackle homelessness in its area.
	The following table contains the level of revenue funding allocated to Wakefield metropolitan district council over the last five years in respect of homelessness.
	
		
			  Homelessness funding—Wakefield 
			   Revenue funding allocated (£) 
			 2003-04 38,713 
			 2004-05 38,000 
			 2005-06 38,000 
			 2006-07 72,000 
			 2007-08 143,000 
		
	
	This year, we will also be providing Wakefield metropolitan district council with £20,000 under our Hostels Capital Improvement Programme for improvements to Castledene hostel.

Housing

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government 
	(1)  what assessment she has made of the likely effect on energy efficiency standards of proposed changes to grant levels for private sector housing renewal; and what discussions she has had with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on this matter;
	(2)  what recent discussions she has had with the Department of Health on her Department's new proposals for private-sector housing renewal.

Iain Wright: There are no new proposals for private-sector housing renewal policy. ODPM circular 05/2003 "Housing Renewal" includes advice on how local authorities should link their housing renewal policies with social care, health, fuel poverty and energy efficiency strategies. My Department has allocated £10.2 billion for regional housing funding for 2008-11 for housing capital programmes, including those which address the condition of private- sector housing stock.
	No final decisions have been made on funding for private-sector housing renewal. We are currently considering advice from the regional assemblies on funding priorities for their areas.

Housing: Construction

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what steps she is taking to ensure the availability of  (a) skills,  (b) manpower and  (c) materials to meet the target for building new homes; how she plans to ensure timely planning decisions are taken on those homes; and if she will make a statement.

Iain Wright: Chapter 11 of our 'Homes for the Future' Green Paper set out how Government intend to build capacity to meet the skills and construction challenges in supporting housing growth, while also supporting local people's skills needs. Officials in my Department and the Departments for Innovation, Universities and Skills (DIUS), and for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (BERR), are working closely with the main built environment sector skills councils (SSCs) and other partners to take forward these commitments to ensure that we have the skills needed to support our plans for housing growth. In addition we will consider the implications for skills of the Callcutt review of housebuilding delivery, and what if any further actions may be needed.
	Chapter 2 of the Green Paper sets out how the planning system can support the goal of 240,000 new homes every year. Our White Paper "Planning for a Sustainable Future" also made clear that increasing the supply of housing is a key outcome for planning.

Housing: Digital Broadcasting

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what percentage of properties  (a) newly built and  (b) refurbished under the housing market renewal pathfinder projects have been equipped with communal digital television systems.

Iain Wright: The information requested is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Housing: Domestic Safety

Karen Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many assessments were made in respect of  (a) private and  (b) social housing under the housing health and safety rating system in each local authority during 2006-07.

Iain Wright: The information requested is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Housing: Domestic Safety

Karen Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what guidance her Department has issued to local authorities on housing duties in respect of households in properties in the  (a) private,  (b) registered social landlord and  (c) local authority sectors which have been assessed as representing a category 1 hazard under the housing, health and safety rating system.

Iain Wright: The document "Housing Act 2004 - Enforcement Guidance: Part 1 Housing Conditions" (published 26 May 2006) sets out the legal situation, and what the Department expects of local authorities enforcing the housing health and safety rating system (HHSRS).
	With regards to local authority housing stock, local authorities, as landlords, also need to ensure that their homes meet the decent homes standard. A home cannot be classed as decent if one or more category 1 hazards are present. The document "A Decent Home: Definition and guidance for implementation" (published 7 June 2006) provides guidance on this.

Housing: Overcrowding

Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if she will add to her Department's Public Service Agreement 20 performance indicators on  (a) the number of families with children living in overcrowded housing and  (b) the number of social rented homes to be built in 2008-09 and 2009-10.

Iain Wright: The Government have no current plans to revise PSA20, which is focused on increasing long-term housing supply and affordability.
	The number of affordable homes delivered each year over the CSR period, including the number of homes for social rent, will be measured by PSA20 indicator three: 'Number of affordable homes delivered (gross)'.

Housing: Repairs and Maintenance

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government 
	(1)  what changes she plans to expenditure on private-sector housing renewal and repair; and if she will make a statement;
	(2)  what assessment she has made of the effect of a change in grant support to private-sector housing renewal and repair; and if she will make a statement.

Iain Wright: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave him today to Questions 167883 and 167884.

Housing: Standards

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what plans she has to amend her housing strategy following the adoption of the Decent Homes Standard after 2010; and if she will make a statement.

Iain Wright: In July my right hon. Friend the Minister for Housing published the housing Green Paper "Homes for the Future: more affordable, more sustainable", which can be found at
	http://wwwcommunities.gov.uk/publications/housing/homesforfuture.
	The housing Green Paper committed the Government to delivering 2 million homes by 2016 and 3 million homes by 2020 by raising supply over time towards the 240,000 per year target in 2016.
	The growth by 2016 will include 100,000 new homes in 45 towns and cities that make up the 29 new growth points. We have committed ourselves to investing £1.7 billion for infrastructure in the growth areas over the next three years.
	During this parliamentary session, my right hon. Friend the Minister for Housing has brought forward a Housing and Regeneration Bill. The Bill received its Second Reading in the House on 27 November. It will create the new Homes and Communities Agency, which will deliver more social and affordable housing, promote regeneration and facilitate the establishment of sustainable communities. The Agency will work with local authorities, housing associations and private developers to provide the housing and related infrastructure required. The Bill will also establish a new social housing regulator—the Office for Tenants and Social Landlords—which will drive up the quality of social housing provision by setting standards for housing associations, backed up by new intervention powers to secure improvements where landlords are failing.
	We are also providing at least £8 billion over the next three years to invest in affordable housing—initially through the Housing Corporation and then through the new Homes and Communities Agency. This new investment, which is an increase of 50 per cent. compared to the previous three years, will help to deliver 70,000 affordable homes a year by 2010-11, of which 45,000 will be for social rent. The Housing and Regeneration Bill will also make changes to the housing revenue account subsidy system to enable local authorities to keep rental income from new homes to incentivise them to build where it is shown to provide value for money.
	Owing to the positive response from local authorities and developers following the Green Paper we have increased the number of ecotowns schemes to be provided by 2020 from five to 10. The entire community will be designed to reach zero carbon standards.
	We have also announced around £l billion for Housing Market Renewal pathfinder areas. The investment is aimed to continue to help develop practical solutions to address housing market weakness and tackle high vacancy rates, high population turnover, low demand for social rented housing and low sales value.
	The Housing Green Paper reaffirmed the Government's commitment to ensuring both councils and housing associations maintain their focus on improving the quality of their existing accommodation and delivering decent homes. We also committed ourselves to at least £2 billion investment in the Arm's Length Management Organisation programme over the next spending period 2008-09 to 2010-11.
	We are also making some £10.2 billion available over the years 2008-11 through the regional housing pot. This is a very significant increase on the funding for the previous three years, which totalled some £7.8 billion. The funding will underpin our commitment to decent homes and to increasing the supply of affordable housing.

Housing: Sustainable Development

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the basis was for the decision not to require new homes funded through the Housing Corporation from April 2008 to meet higher standard than Code Level 3 for Sustainable Homes.

Iain Wright: Code Level 3 is already a very high standard and significantly beyond current Building Regulations for Energy/CO2 emissions. For the Housing Corporation it will be a minimum requirement to build to Code Level 3 for the forthcoming 2008-11 Affordable Housing Programme. This ensures that Government-funded housing is leading the way in the drive towards sustainable housing. The energy requirements within Code Level 3 will become part of the Building Regulations in 2010.

Injunctions

James Brokenshire: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many injunctions have been  (a) sought and  (b) obtained under sections 26 and 27 of the Police and Justice Act 2006.

Iain Wright: The Police and Justice Act 2006 amended measures which have been available since summer 2004. My Department has requested that local authorities provide data on the number of antisocial behaviour injunctions (ASBIs) they have obtained from 2006-07. Those data are not yet available.
	The Housing Corporation has collected data from registered social landlords (RSLs) on the use of antisocial behaviour injunctions since 2005-06, in which 758 are reported as having been granted.

Landlord and Tenant: Digital Broadcasting

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what role she plans for the proposed new Office for Tenants and Social Landlords in  (a) supporting access by tenants to digital television receiving systems and  (b) encouraging provision by landlords of communal digital television receiving systems for dwellings in multiple occupation.

Iain Wright: The recently introduced Housing and Regeneration Bill will create OFTENANT, the Office for Tenants and Social Landlords. It is too early to provide details on how it might support the successful delivery of the digital switchover programme in advance of its establishment. This will be a matter for the regulator once it is established, taking into account its remit of improving core housing services for tenants.

Landlord and Tenant: Digital Broadcasting

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what steps she is taking to encourage social landlords and local authority housing providers to upgrade communal television systems in advance of digital switchover.

Iain Wright: Responsibility for upgrading communal television systems is a matter for landlords in consultation with tenants. Digital UK is responsible for communicating with landlords and property managers in order to increase awareness and understanding of what they need to do to prepare for switchover.
	The Department continues to co-operate closely with the Department for Media, Culture and Sport, the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform and Digital UK in working to deliver a successful switchover programme.

Planning

Dai Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what recent meetings she or other Ministers in her Department have held with non-governmental organisations on planning reform; and what the outcome of such meetings was.

Iain Wright: Ministers have met a wide range of non-governmental organisations on planning reform, principally as a result of the planning White Paper. The Government summary of responses to the consultation on the White Paper is available in the Library of the House.

Planning: Renewable Energy

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether her Department plans to allow local authorities to take green tariffs into account when considering the carbon footprint of new developments.

Iain Wright: The Government are working with the public sector, business and voluntary organisations in assessing a number of options for solutions that will help to reduce the carbon emissions from new developments.
	Green supply tariffs have a role to play in contributing to the achievement of the Government's climate change goals. As such, the Government are committed to working with Ofgem to ensure consumers have accessible, transparent and user- friendly information on the 'green electricity' tariffs available to them. Ofgem published a consultation paper on green tariffs "Cutting green customer confusion" on 21 November.

Planning: Research

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what research  (a) commissioned and  (b) evaluated by her Department was taken account of in reaching the decision on new homes in the current plan period; and if she will make a statement.

Iain Wright: In order to respond to the Barker review of housing supply, the Department commissioned the university of Reading to develop a theoretical affordability model that models the impact of different levels and regional distributions of housing supply on affordability. This research was published at the time of the Government's response to the Barker review in November 2005, and is available on the Department's website:
	http://www.communities.gov.uk/publication/housing/affordabilitytargetsimplications.
	Since then the university of Reading has continued to develop the model, and the Department will be publishing details of the latest version of this model in due course.
	The National Housing and Planning Advice Unit (NHPAU) has recently published a response to the Government's housing Green Paper, which used this model to examine a range of housebuilding scenarios.
	In addition to the research outlined above, a range of other evidence and analysis was used as part of the decision-making process underlying the housing Green Paper announcement that 3 million homes would be built by 2020. This included the official household projections produced by the Department and examination of housing supply data and the regional plans existing at that time.

Railway Stations: Hampshire

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer of 20 November 2007,  Official Report, columns 785-6W, on railway stations in Hampshire, what the schedule is for including in the Railways for All programme those Hampshire railway stations which have not been announced for inclusion in the programme; and if she will make a statement.

Tom Harris: I have been asked to reply.
	The Department is currently drawing up the next list of stations to be targeted for investment under the Access for All Programme, and will make an announcement before the end of the year. Stations in Hampshire will be considered, alongside other stations not selected so far, for enhancement during the 2012 to 2015 period.
	In addition, annual rounds of Access for All Small Schemes Funding will continue to support smaller scale enhancements, such as the low height ticket counters being installed at Havant, Southampton Central, Farnborough and Brockenhurst over the same period.

Regional Planning and Development: Northamptonshire

Philip Hollobone: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what account was taken of the capacity of the A14 in setting housing development targets for north Northamptonshire; and if she will make a statement.

Iain Wright: The Milton Keynes and South Midlands Sub Regional Strategy (MKSM SRS) sets out the district level housing targets for North Northamptonshire. At the Examination in Public the Highways Agency accepted that possible capacity constraints on the A14 would need to be investigated further.
	Since then, the North Northamptonshire Joint Planning Unit has been developing a core strategy which is currently at the Examination in Public stage, and has worked closely with the Highways Agency, which has been carrying out studies to look at online improvements and options for the potential widening of parts of the A14. The Highways Agency has presented information to the Examination in Public to show improvements that can be made to the A14 to meet the anticipated housing trajectory.

Regional Planning and Development: South West Region

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer of 12 September 2007,  Official Report, column 2138W, on Regional Planning and Development: South West Region, how much affordable housing she expects to be built in  (a) Forest of Dean constituency and  (b) Gloucestershire in the next five years.

Iain Wright: It is for each of the Gloucestershire Local Planning Authorities to determine both the need and the amount of affordable housing to be built in their areas, having regard to the planning guidance set out in PPS3 and the draft Regional Spatial Strategy. The Gloucestershire planning authorities are now preparing local development documents in which they will set an overall (i.e. plan-led) target for the amount of affordable housing to be provided in their areas.

Religion: Publications

John Battle: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what publications her Department and its predecessors have produced relating to faith communities since 1997.

Parmjit Dhanda: Since 1997, 20 publications have been produced by the Department for Communities and Local Government and its main predecessor organisations which relate predominantly to faith communities. The 20 publications focusing entirely on faith issues are:
	1. "Guidance on New Measures to Outlaw Discrimination on Grounds of Religion or Belief: (Part 2, Equality Act 2006)" Communities and Local Government, 2007.
	2. "2005 citizenship survey: race and faith topic report" Communities and Local Government, 2006.
	3. "Review of the Evidence Base on Faith Communities" Office of the Deputy Prime Minister, 2006.
	4. "Incitement to religious hatred" Home Office, 2006.
	5. "Working Together: Co-operation between Government and Faith communities—Progress Report" Office of the Deputy Prime Minister, 2005.
	6. "Ministers of Religion from abroad: second stage consultation" Home Office, 2005.
	7. "Community Cohesion Pathfinder Programme" Faith and Cohesion Office of the Deputy Prime Minister, 2004.
	8. "Working Together: Co-operation between Government and Faith Communities" 03m Faith Communities Unit Home Office, 2004.
	9. "Religion in England and Wales: findings from the 2001 Home Office Citizenship Survey" Home Office Research Study 274 Home Office Research, Development and Statistics Directorate, 2004.
	10. "Tackling Religious Discrimination: practical implications for policy makers and legislators" Home Office Research Study 221 Home Office Research, Development and Statistics Directorate, 2001.
	11. "Religious Discrimination in England and Wales" Home Office Research Study 220 Home Office Research, Development and Statistics Directorate, 2001.
	12. "Information about Ministers of Religion" Immigration and Nationality Directorate ISBN 1858935083 Home Office, 2001.
	13. "Transport requirements of minority ethnic and faith communities: research findings" Department for Transport, Local Government and the Regions, 2002.
	14. "A forum for faith communities and government" Department of Environment, Transport and the Regions, 2001.
	15. "Faith, communities and social work: shifting identities and changing realities" Department of Environment, Transport and the Regions, 1999.
	16. "The local inter faith guide: faith community co-operation in action" Department of Environment, Transport and the Regions in association with the Inter Faith Network for the UK, 1999.
	17. "Faith, communities and social work: shifting identities and changing realities: symposium report" Department of Environment, Transport and the Regions, 1999.
	18. "Involving communities in urban and rural regeneration: a guide for practitioners" (includes specific section on faith communities) Department of Environment, Transport and the Regions, 1997.
	19. "Challenging religious discrimination: a guide for faith communities and their advisers" Department of Environment, 1997.
	20. "Faith interaction: Inner Cities Religious Council newsletter" Department of Environment, 1993-98.

Rented Housing: Finance

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government for what reasons private-sector housing renewal and grant support to those living in that sector are not included in the public service agreements for her Department.

Iain Wright: Progress to increase the proportion of vulnerable households living in decent homes in the private-sector to 70 per cent. by 2010 is ahead of target. Progress on private-sector renewal remains important work for my Department and will contribute to our departmental strategic objectives. We will continue to monitor progress through the English House Condition Survey.
	Local authorities' duties and responsibilities remain unchanged. Many services and activities undertaken by local government, alone or in partnership, are not directly reflected in the national indicator set but will continue to be important to local areas and the people they serve. We expect local authorities to continue to set priorities, determine performance indicators and monitor and review performance.

Rented Housing: Standards

James Brokenshire: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many landlords have signed up to the Respect Standard for Housing Management.

Iain Wright: As of 31 October 2007, 374 social landlords have signed up to the Respect Standard. We estimate that this constitutes 68 per cent. of landlords and 5.5 million social housing tenants.

Social Rented Housing: Rents

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government who is responsible for setting the upper limit of social housing rent which each local authority is authorised to charge; how that upper limit is calculated; and if she will make a statement.

Iain Wright: Rent-setting powers of local authorities are set out in section 24 of the Housing Act 1985. Local authorities are free to set whatever rents they consider reasonable. Government have no rent-setting powers.
	When setting rents, local authorities will have regard to the 'guideline rent' for their authority. This is the notional rent that operates inside the Housing Revenue Account (HRA) subsidy system and is used to calculate the assumed rental income for the authority, that calculation forming part of the authority's overall entitlement to HRA subsidy. Each authority has its own guideline rent.
	Local authorities will also have regard to the 'limit rent' for their authority. This is the maximum level to which the Department for Work and Pensions will pay housing benefit on the dwellings in that authority.
	Guideline and limit rent is calculated using a formula that takes a number of factors into account, including the type and location of the housing authority's dwellings, local factors such as manual worker salaries in the county the authority is in, and national factors such as inflation.

Tuberculosis: Leeds

John Battle: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many cases of tuberculosis there were in  (a) Leeds and  (b) Leeds, West constituency in each year since 1997.

Dawn Primarolo: I have been asked to reply.
	The number of reported tuberculosis cases in the Leeds local authority since 1997 is as follows.
	
		
			   Number 
			 1998 75 
			 1999 77 
			 2000 67 
			 2001 94 
			 2002 107 
			 2003 79 
			 2004 113 
			 2005 111 
			 2006 152 
			  Note: There are no data on the number of cases occurring in the Leeds West constituency, as this information is not collected on a constituency basis.  Source:  Health Protection Agency enhanced tuberculosis surveillance system.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

Cyprus

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent representations he has received on the UK's role in Cyprus.

Jim Murphy: The UK has a unique role in Cyprus, as both countries are EU, UN and Commonwealth members, and the UK is one of the three guarantor powers for Cyprus. The UK has a strong bilateral relationship with Cyprus, a key trading partner. We maintain a structured dialogue and co-operate on a wide range of issues.
	The UK is fully supportive of the UN's efforts to promote the reunification of Cyprus and we have lent our full support to the 8 July agreement between the two leaders. The UK works with its EU and UN partners to achieve this goal. In north Cyprus, we have supported the EU's efforts to bring the Turkish Cypriot community closer to Europe, facilitating the reunification of Cyprus through economic development.

Cyprus

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps his Department has taken to encourage the reunification of Cyprus following the 2004 Annan plan.

Jim Murphy: In 2004, the UN plan for a comprehensive settlement of the Cyprus problem was approved by the Turkish Cypriots, but rejected by the Greek Cypriots. The UK continues to support a bi-zonal, bi-communal federation, established on the basis of political equality. We have fully supported the UN's efforts to restart settlement negotiations between the two communities on this basis, and have lent our full support to the 8 July agreement between the two leaders.
	We engage fully with Turkey, Greece, the Republic of Cyprus and the Turkish Cypriot leadership, encouraging them to play a full and positive part in the settlement process. During her last visit to the island, my right hon. Friend the Member for Enfield, North (Joan Ryan), the UK's recently appointed Special Representative for Cyprus, urged both communities to show the flexibility and political courage required to bridge the gap between words and deeds.

Cyprus

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what his Department's policy is on trade with Turkish-occupied northern Cyprus.

Jim Murphy: The EU made a commitment in April 2004, reiterated in January 2007, "to end the isolation of Turkish Cypriots and facilitate the reunification of Cyprus" with "particular emphasis on the economic integration of the island and on improving contact between the two communities and with the EU". We fully support these objectives.
	The EU wants direct trade with northern Cyprus and the Government have supported the attempts of successive EU presidencies to realise this goal. We believe that this would bring Turkish Cypriots closer to Europe, slow the economic integration of northern Cyprus with Turkey, promote economic integration within Cyprus and reduce economic disparities between the two communities, so facilitating a settlement.

Cyprus

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what estimate he has made of the number of Turkish troops situated in Cyprus; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Murphy: The Government estimate that there are between 20,000 and 30,000 Turkish troops in northern Cyprus. We believe that a reduction in the number of Turkish troops would help build trust on the island. A settlement would allow comprehensive demilitarisation of the island.

Cyprus

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the  (a) processes for and  (b) impact of commercial development in the buffer zone in Cyprus; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Murphy: The monitoring and control of development in the buffer zone is a matter for the UN Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus, whose mandate we strongly support.

Cyprus

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the North Cyprus Property Commission's ability to  (a) pay compensation for and  (b) order restitution of Greek Cypriot property (i) promptly and (ii) in full.

Jim Murphy: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office has made no assessment of the ability of the Immovable Property Commission to fulfil its functions. This matter is properly before the European Court of Human Rights.

Cyprus

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the extent of bicommunal activity in Cyprus sponsored or organised by  (a) the UK,  (b) the UN,  (c) other countries,  (d) the Republic of Cyprus,  (e) Turkish Cypriots,  (f) civil society in the Republic of Cyprus and  (g) civil society in Northern Cyprus.

Jim Murphy: The UK supports a range of bicommunal activities. For example, we have provided financial support for the UN Commission on missing persons and have promoted bicommunal discussions highlighting the economic benefits of a solution. My right hon. Friend the Member for Enfield North (Joan Ryan), the UK Special Representative to Cyprus, met bicommunal civil society groups in October, during her visit to the island.
	The bulk of the UN work on bicommunal activities is organised by Action for Co-operation and Trust in Cyprus (ACT). The ACT was created in October 2005 and has a total budget of US$26.5 million. It is managed directly by the UN Development programme. More information about the work of ACT can be found at:
	http://www.undp-act.org/MAIN/default.aspx.
	Notwithstanding these efforts, the UN Security Council noted in its last resolution on the UN Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus mandate that the search for peace in Cyprus would benefit from more bicommunal activity.

Cyprus

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent progress there has been in cross-green line co-operation between police services of the Republic of Cyprus and the Turkish Cypriots; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Murphy: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office is not aware of any co-operation between the police services of the Republic of Cyprus and the Turkish Cypriots.
	The technical committees envisaged under the 8 July 2006 agreement would provide a forum for discussion of those issues, such as crime, that would benefit from enhanced bicommunal co-operation. We continue to urge the rapid implementation of the 8 July agreement.

Cyprus

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much of the EU's 259 million euros aid package to Turkish Cypriots  (a) has been spent and  (b) is contracted to be spent; what obstacles there are to the disbursement of the aid; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Murphy: The financial aid regulation is supporting practical projects designed to bring the Turkish Cypriot community closer to Europe. The European Commission's 2007 report on the Financial Aid Regulation, available at
	http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriScrv/site/en/com/2007/com2007_0536en01.pdf
	provides a full account of implementation of the regulation. By October 2007, €61 million had been tendered for; total amount contracted reached €25 million; and a total of €8 million has now been spent.
	Potential obstacles to effective implementation of the regulation cited in the report include: tight contracting deadlines, property issues, low absorption capacity, staffing of the programme team and lack of co-operation between the Greek and Turkish Cypriot communities. The Commission is working hard to overcome these obstacles, delivering projects that promote reunification by bringing the Turkish Cypriots closer to Europe.

Cyprus

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the likely impact of the euro circulating in the Republic of Cyprus on  (a) the Turkish Cypriot economy and  (b) Turkish Cypriot people and their savings; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Murphy: The UK has made no such assessment. As the application of the EU's acquis communitaire is suspended in those areas of the Republic of Cyprus in which the Government of the Republic of Cyprus does not exercise effective control, the euro will not be legal tender there. It will be the responsibility of the EU Commission to monitor the impact of the introduction of the euro. The UK continues to believe that bringing Turkish Cypriots closer to the EU will help to build economic links between Greek and Turkish Cypriots, and will make a future settlement less costly to accommodate. The UK has promoted academic research and public debate on the role the single currency might play in promoting economic integration and reunification of the island.

Cyprus

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the process of preparing conversion of the currency in the Republic of Cyprus to euros; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Murphy: The UK has not made any such assessment. Any such assessment would be the responsibility of the EU Commission. When the EU Council agreed on 10 July that Cyprus would be allowed to adopt the euro from 1 January 2008, it also encouraged Cyprus to continue with appropriate policies to ensure that it could make the most of the benefits of joining the euro, in particular on budgetary rigour, structural reform and maintaining the competitiveness of their economy.

Cyprus

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what progress is being made on opening new crossing points over the green line in Cyprus, apart from Ledra Street; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Murphy: We strongly support the efforts of the UN to broker an agreement between the parties, which would permit the opening of the symbolic Ledra Street crossing, or other green line crossing points. That would constitute a significant confidence building measure. This message was reinforced in the resolution on Cyprus adopted by the UN Security Council on 15 June. Although there have been positive gestures by both sides, key issues remaining including the demarcation of the buffer zone at Ledra Street. We continue to believe that further crossing points should be opened on the basis of arrangements used at existing crossing points, and call upon all involved to extend their full co-operation to the UN.

Cyprus

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the  (a) prospects for and  (b) obstacles to opening a new green line crossing point at Ledra Street, Nicosia; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Murphy: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave him today (UIN 163114).

Cyprus

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of levels of cross-green line crime in Cyprus; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Murphy: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office has made no formal assessment of the level of cross-green line crime in Cyprus. However, we remain concerned that lack of co-operation between the two sides on criminal matters provides a hospitable environment for organised criminal groups. The technical committees envisaged under the 8 July 2006 agreement would provide a forum for discussion of this issue. We continue to urge the rapid implementation of the 8 July agreement.

Cyprus

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when the UK stopped providing data to the Republic of Cyprus authorities about movements of people from the North of Cyprus through the Sovereign Base Areas checkpoints; for what reason this stopped; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Murphy: The Sovereign Base Areas (SBAs) provide all information at their disposal on the movement of people to the Republic of Cyprus. There is practical co-operation between SBA and Republic of Cyprus officials on a daily basis, and regular meetings take place between the SBAs, Republic of Cyprus and the European Commission where information on movement of persons and goods is exchanged.

Cyprus

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what estimate he has made of the number of Turkish Cypriots  (a) resident in the south of Cyprus and  (b) visiting the south on a daily basis for work; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Murphy: The Government have not estimated the number of Turkish Cypriots who reside and work in the Republic of Cyprus.
	In the period 1 May 2006 to 31 April 2007, according to the EU Commission report on the Green Line Regulation, 1,348,215 Turkish Cypriots crossed from the northern part of Cyprus to the Government-controlled area. This was broken down as 812,756 in the first six months and 535,459 in the second.
	We regret any reduction in contacts between the two communities. We believe that increased people-to- people contacts, and trade between the two communities and the rest of the EU, can make an important contribution to solving the Cyprus problem.

Cyprus

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what progress is being made with the missing persons initiative in Cyprus; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Murphy: We welcome the progress of the Committee on Missing Persons since it launched its project on the Exhumation, Identification and Return of Remains of Missing Persons in August 2006. The committee carries out important humanitarian work, identifying and returning the remains of those who lost their lives during this period. The remains of 28 missing persons were returned to their families in July this year. We hope that this process will promote reconciliation between the communities.

Cyprus

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if the Government will make available to the UN Missing Persons Committee in Cyprus the information that they hold on atrocities which result in the deaths of Greek Cypriots, Turkish Cypriots and foreign nationals between 1960 and 1974; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Murphy: Government records from this period deemed worthy of preservation are, with a few exceptions, housed at the National Archive where they are available to the public, free of charge. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office currently selects on average 40 per cent. of created files for preservation, of which less than 1 per cent. are closed or retained (unavailable to the public).

Cyprus

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the expected budget shortfall for the UN missing persons initiative in Cyprus is for  (a) 2007-08 and  (b) 2008-09; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Murphy: Any budget shortfall, as well as the budget for 2008-09, is a matter for the UN in the first instance. The UK has donated a total of £82,000 to the committee, including a contribution of £10,000 in the current financial year. By this and other means, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office has supported and encouraged the efforts of the Committee on Missing Persons in Cyprus and the UN Mission in Cyprus to promote outside donor support for the important work of the committee, as well as continuing support from the parties in Cyprus.

Cyprus

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what financial assistance the UK is giving to the UN missing persons initiative in Cyprus in 2007-08; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Murphy: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave to him today (UIN 163123).

Cyprus

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when the British high commissioner for Cyprus last visited Rizokarpasso in northern Cyprus; what assessment he made of the  (a) number,  (b) scale and  (c) reasons given for demolition of Greek Cypriot homes; what representations he made to the Turkish Cypriots; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Murphy: Our high commissioner in Nicosia last visited the Greek Cypriot community in Karpas on 22 June 2007 as part of a regular pattern of visits, which supplement the United Nations' humanitarian and monitoring activity. The issue of the demolition of Greek Cypriot homes was specifically discussed during this visit and subsequently with the Turkish Cypriot leadership. Our high commission in Nicosia continues to urge the Turkish Cypriot leadership to respect the property rights of the enclaved Greek Cypriot communities.

Cyprus

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received of the statement by President Gul in Northern Cyprus that the island consists of two states, two peoples and two religions; what his policy on this matter is; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Murphy: Turkey has frequently expressed its support for a settlement in Cyprus on the basis of political equality and a bizonal, bicommunal federation, negotiated through the good offices of the UN Secretary-General. Our contacts with the Turkish Government, both before and after President Gul's comments, suggest that it is still their objective.
	The leaders of the two communities in Cyprus reached agreement on 8 July 2006 on steps designed to lead to a resumption of settlement negotiations. That agreement, which has the full support of the UK, the UN Security Council and the international community, has yet to be implemented. During his recent meeting with Turkish Prime Minister Erdogan, my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister underlined the importance of all parties seizing the opportunity for progress next year.

Cyprus

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether  (a) Famagusta and  (b) Kyrenia meet the requirements of the 2004 International Ship and Port Facility Security Code; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Murphy: The Government have not formally assessed whether the ports of Famagusta and Kyrenia meet the requirements of the International Ship and Port Facility Security Code. The port facilities do not appear on the International Maritime Organisation's list of facilities with approved security plans.

Cyprus

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the impact on EU trade and shipping of the Turkish embargo on Cypriot and Cyprus- associated shipping; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Murphy: The European Commission is responsible for monitoring the implementation of the acquis by Turkey and for providing evidence-based impact assessments on the accession process. The UK has made no detailed assessment of the impact on EU trade and shipping of the Turkish embargo on Cypriot and Cyprus associated shipping. However, the opening of Turkish ports to Cypriot shipping would clearly have important economic benefits for the region as a whole. The interdependence that accompanies trade, both on the island and between Cyprus and Turkey, has an important role to play in reunifying the island.

Cyprus

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to Turkey on its embargo on Cypriot shipping; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Murphy: The Government regularly raise with Turkey the importance of fulfilling its obligations to the EU. My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister did so when he met the Turkish Prime Minister on 23 October. The European Commission's annual progress report on Turkey, published on 6 November—http://ec.europa.eu/enlargement/pdf/key_documents/2007/nov/turkey_progress_reportts_en.pdf)—evaluates Turkey's implementation of its obligations, including those under the Ankara Agreement Protocol.

Cyprus

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received of the  (a) effectiveness of the bicommunal school in Limassol and  (b) proposals for Turkish Cypriots resident in Limassol of a separate school for Turkish Cypriot children; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Murphy: The UK is aware that ideas for a separate school for Turkish Cypriot children in Limassol have been discussed by the two communities. This is a long-standing issue. We hope that these discussions can produce agreement on how Turkish Cypriot children in Limassol can best be educated.

Cyprus

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what plans he has to promote progress on the July 2006 Gambari Agreement in Cyprus; what assessment he has made of the obstacles to such progress; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Murphy: The UK fully supports the 8 July 2006 process. Time is not on the side of a settlement. Following his meeting with Prime Minister Erdogan in October, my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister made clear the importance of seizing the election free window of opportunity for progress towards a settlement in 2008. In addition, we continue to urge both sides to show the flexibility necessary for the technical committees and working groups envisaged under this agreement to begin work, and to prepare the ground for fully fledged settlement negotiations as soon as possible.

Cyprus

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what estimate he has made of the rate of building on Greek Cypriot-owned land in northern Cyprus  (a) before and  (b) after the rejection of the Annan plan; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Murphy: The Government have not estimated the number of properties that have been built or which are under construction in northern Cyprus. However, property development in northern Cyprus has clearly accelerated since the rejection of the Annan plan, which has resulted in the building of large numbers of new properties. The Government are concerned at the scale of such construction on Greek Cypriot-owned land in northern Cyprus. Our high commission in Nicosia regularly raises the issue of property development with the Turkish Cypriot leadership. We believe that the difficult and complex issue of property is only likely to be fully resolved in the context of a comprehensive settlement, and we urge both sides to engage constructively with the United Nations to enable settlement negotiations to start as soon as possible.
	In our contacts with the Turkish Cypriot leadership, we recognise the Turkish Cypriots' need for economic development in support of reunification. But we urge them to ensure that any property development which does take place does so in a manner that is environmentally sustainable and does not complicate an eventual solution.

Cyprus

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the ability of the Turkish Cypriot economy to comply with standards required by the EU acquis communautaire; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Murphy: The Government have not made such an assessment. The history of the EU demonstrates the power of trade to promote economic prosperity and political reconciliation. The preliminary finding of the World Bank report from 2006 on the economy in northern Cyprus was that the external constraints on access to EU markets for the Turkish Cypriot community were one of the two biggest constraints to economic development in northern Cyprus. I endorse the conclusion that the long-term welfare of all Cypriots is in jeopardy if steps are not taken to ensure the convergence of living standards on the island. That is why we remain committed to supporting the Turkish Cypriots and the EU Commission in economic and regulatory reform, particularly through the aid regulation, and to supporting the EU presidency in its efforts to find a way for the Turkish Cypriots to trade directly with the EU.

Cyprus

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what estimate he has made of the rate of migration from Turkey to the north of Cyprus  (a) before and  (b) after the rejection of the Annan plan; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Murphy: The Government do not have specific data concerning the rate of migration from Turkey to the north of Cyprus before and after the rejection of the Annan plan.
	However, a Turkish Cypriot census in April 2006 indicated that roughly 40 per cent. of the population of northern Cyprus is of Turkish or Turkish-mixed origin. This figure includes temporary workers and students but excludes soldiers and their families.

Pakistan: Politics and Government

John MacDougall: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the political situation in Pakistan.

Kim Howells: I refer my hon. Friend to the reply I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Milton Keynes, South-West (Dr. Starkey) on 12 November,  Official Report, column 41W.
	I welcome General Musharraf's announcement that he will hold elections on 8 January and that he has stepped down as Chief of the Army. But I urge him to lift the state of emergency, restore constitutional order and create the conditions for free and fair elections. There must be a level playing field for all political parties. We hope that Pakistan will rapidly meet the conditions which will allow its full membership of the Commonwealth to be restored.

Tibet: UN Resolutions

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he has taken to encourage the UN to give effect to UN Resolutions 1353 and 1723 on Tibet; and if he will make a statement.

Meg Munn: holding answer 26 November 2007
	We have not made representations to the UN on UN Resolutions 1353 (1959) and 1723 (1961) on Tibet. We do, however, regularly raise our concerns on Tibet directly with the Chinese Government, including the need to respect and protect the fundamental rights and freedoms of the Tibetan people. We did this at the last round of the UK-China Human Rights Dialogue in London in February, and we continue to monitor the situation in Tibet closely.

Turkey: Foreign Relations

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the likely impact of the strategic partnership with Turkey on UK relations with  (a) Greece and  (b) Cyprus; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Murphy: The Republic of Cyprus and Greece have raised concerns and sought clarification about the strategic partnership document. We have reassured them that the UK remains fully committed to the reunification of the island and fully supportive of the 8 July 2006 process.
	In my statement published on the Foreign and Commonwealth Office website on 31 October at
	http://www.fco.gov.uk/servlet/Front?pagename=OpenMarket/Xcelerate/ShowPage&c=Page&cid=1007029391629&a=KArticle&aid=1193598399882
	I emphasised in the strongest terms that there is no change to our policy on the non-recognition of the so-called Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, and that the UK's priority is progress towards reunification, as envisaged by the 8 July Agreement. My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary, following his meeting with Foreign Minister Bakoyannis on 6 November, reiterated this position.
	The concerns expressed by the Republic of Cyprus and Greece show that, while we share the same strategic objective of reunifying Cyprus, there are honestly held differences of opinion on how to achieve this. We continue to discuss all such differences of opinion.
	Both the Republic of Cyprus and Greece share the UK's desire of Turkish accession to the EU. Greece and the UK continue to support the 8 July process towards achieving a unified Cyprus. The UK shares many vital interests with both countries, and its bilateral relations with both countries are, as ever, very important.

Turkey: Foreign Relations

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs on what basis negotiations with Turkey were conducted on the Strategic Partnership Agreement in relation to those parts of the agreement that relate to undertakings on behalf of the Turkish Cypriot community in Cyprus; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Murphy: The UK/Turkey Strategic Partnership (formerly UK/ Turkey Action Plan) is a formalised dialogue which has existed between the UK and Turkey since 2004. It draws together into one high-level bilateral document the breadth of co-operation across the two Governments on a wide range of issues including climate change, trade, security, EU membership and counter-terrorism. It includes a section reiterating long-standing commitments to bring the Turkish Cypriot community closer to Europe.

Turkey: Foreign Relations

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assistance  (a) has been given and  (b) is planned to be given to Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus authorities and universities in relation to their engagement with the Bologna process as referred to in the Strategic Partnership Agreement with Turkey; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Murphy: Officials in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office are in contact with Turkish Cypriot academics on how to raise Turkish Cypriot educational standards. These contacts have sought to promote an exchange of ideas between educational establishments on practical issues. The aim is to ensure that Turkish Cypriot universities are able to maintain standards comparable with those of the institutions that are members of the Bologna process.

Turkey: Foreign Relations

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what consultation was undertaken with leaders of the Turkish Cypriot community over the text of the Strategic Partnership Agreement with Turkey, in so far as it refers to Turkish Cypriots; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Murphy: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave him today (UIN 162759).
	Leaders of the Turkish Cypriot community were not consulted over the bilateral UK/Turkey Agreement.

Turkey: Foreign Relations

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what action he plans to take to uphold the right to representation of Turkish Cypriots in the European Parliament as referred to in the Strategic Partnership Agreement with Turkey; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Murphy: Turkish Cypriots are European citizens. Our preferred means to enfranchise them would be a comprehensive settlement of the Cyprus problem that enables them to elect representatives to the European Parliament in the normal way. We are making every possible effort to secure that outcome. In the absence of a settlement, we welcome interest shown by Turkish Cypriots in the European Parliament and by European parliamentarians in the Turkish Cypriot community—not least as oversight and encouragement of disbursement under the Aid Regulation by the Commission. It is for the Parliament to decide precisely what mechanisms to employ. But we will urge the Council to support any such initiatives, as complementing its own efforts to bring Turkish Cypriots closer to Europe, underlining what the two communities have in common, and to help reunify the island.

Turkey: Foreign Relations

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what plans he has to promote direct  (a) commercial,  (b) economic,  (c) political and  (d) cultural contacts between the UK, EU and Turkish Cypriots, in accordance with the Strategic Partnership with Turkey; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Murphy: The Government fully support the EU's desire to end Turkish Cypriot isolation and facilitate the reunification of Cyprus. We believe that lifting the isolation of the Turkish Cypriots, and bringing them closer to the EU, will help to build economic and cultural links between Greek and Turkish Cypriots, and will make a future settlement less costly to accommodate. Long-standing UK policy is to put market forces at the service of a settlement and promote people-to-people contacts at all times.

Turkey: Foreign Relations

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reference there is in the Strategic Partnership Agreement with Turkey to  (a) building on Greek-Cypriot-owned land in Northern Cyprus,  (b) migration from Turkey to Northern Cyprus,  (c) the Turkish military presence in Cyprus,  (d) implementation of the EU customs union agreement in Cyprus,  (e) the UN process on Cyprus with particular reference to the 2006 Gambari agreement; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Murphy: The Strategic Partnership reflects the breadth of co-operation between the UK and Turkish Governments. The agreement is not, however, designed to be an exhaustive reflection of our policy on Cyprus. The document emphasises our primary goal of a comprehensive and enduring Cyprus settlement, which would address many of the issues referred to. Our policy is to continue to support the 8 July Process, which I reiterated in my 31 October statement published on the Foreign and Commonwealth Office website at
	http://www.fco.gov.uk/servlet/Front?pagename=OpenMarket/Xcelerate/ShowPage&c=Page&cid=1007029391629&a=KArticle&aid=1193598399882.
	The Government's position remains that Turkey must implement all its obligations to the EU, including those in relation to Cyprus, such as normalisation of relations and the implementation of the Ankara Agreement Protocol.

Turkey: Foreign Relations

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what consultations were held with Greece as a guarantor power, prior to the signing of the strategic partnership with Turkey on 23 October 2007, in relation to the provisions relating to Cyprus and Turkish Cypriots; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Murphy: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave him today (UIN 162759).
	No consultations were held with Greece prior to the signing of the Strategic Partnership with Turkey.

Turkey: Foreign Relations

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has received from  (a) Greece and  (b) the Republic of Cyprus over the Strategic Partnership Agreement of 23 October; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Murphy: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave him today (UIN 162758).

Turkey: Foreign Relations

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he made to Turkey over the military occupation of northern Cyprus when negotiating the Strategic Partnership Agreement of 23 October; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Murphy: The UK/Turkey Strategic Partnership Agreement focuses on the long-term strategic objectives between Turkey and the UK. Regarding the presence of Turkish troops in northern Cyprus, UK Ministers have called for a goodwill gesture from Turkey in the form of a troop reduction, in order to build trust on the island.
	The question of how to provide security for both communities is a central issue that will need to be addressed in the course of negotiations to achieve a comprehensive settlement. This underlines the importance of the rapid implementation of the 8 July process, to prepare the ground for fully fledged settlement negotiations.

Turkey: Foreign Relations

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what treaty obligations govern negotiations and other discussions concerning Cyprus between the guarantor powers, with particular reference to bilateral negotiations between two guarantor powers without the participation of the third; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Murphy: Article IV of the Treaty of Guarantee provides that Greece, Turkey and the UK will consult together in the event of a breach of the treaty.
	The UK/Turkey Strategic Partnership is intended to promote reunification of the island, which is the long-standing obligation of all three guarantor powers. The UK/Turkey Agreement does not change in any way our long-term policy on the Cyprus settlement question, which is unconditional support for the implementation of the UN's 8 July 2006 agreement. Therefore it was not necessary to consult with all guarantor powers concerning Cyprus.

Venezuela

Colin Burgon: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the answer of 20 November 2007,  Official Report, column 747W, on Venezuela, what assessment he has made of the  (a) impartiality, ( b) funding streams and  (c) personnel involved in Transparency International in Venezuela.

Kim Howells: holding answer 27 November 2007
	Globally, we consider Transparency International to be a professional and impartial organisation, doing important work. The UK is committed to combating international corruption. Like other Governments, we look at Transparency International's annual index with interest, as it raises awareness of the continued need to combat corruption both here and overseas.
	We work with Governments and civil society organisations such as Transparency International on projects to combat corruption, including in Venezuela. When I discussed corruption with the Venezuelan ambassador on 26 November, I took note of his concerns about Transparency International in Venezuela. We agreed that efforts to combat the problem of corruption in Venezuela were welcome and would continue to receive the UK's support.

Zimbabwe: Politics and Government

John MacDougall: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the political situation in Zimbabwe.

Meg Munn: holding answer 26 November 2007
	I refer my hon. Friend to the answer that the Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my hon. Friend the Member for Pontypridd (Dr. Howells) gave to the hon. Member for Kettering (Mr. Hollobone) on 20 November,  Official Report, columns 1093-1094.

HEALTH

Autism

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what recent assessment he has made of the ability of local authorities to meet the needs of people with autism;
	(2)  what steps he is taking to ensure that local authority commissioners  (a) demonstrate their plans to provide services to people with autism and  (b) provide adequate resources to implement those plans;
	(3)  what assessment he has made of the ability of the service plans of local authority commissioners to meet the needs of people with autism; and if he will make a statement.

Ivan Lewis: We have not made any assessment of the ability of local authorities or the ability of the service plans of local authority commissioners to meet the needs of people with autism. It is for local authorities to manage their priorities and decide how resources should be attributed, taking into consideration locally identified needs and assessments of individuals.
	As stated in the guidance on eligibility criteria for adult social care, councils have to commission services to meet the needs of people who meet the criteria under "Fair Access to Care Services—Guidance on eligibility criteria for adult social care". A copy is available in the Library. If there are gaps in services, they should be filled. For 2007-08, the Government have provided £12.5 billion for local councils in respect of adult personal social services.
	In addition, "Better services for people with an autistic spectrum disorder: A note clarifying current Government policy and describing good practice" was published on 16 November 2006. It clarifies the nature and intent of existing Government policy as it relates to adults with an autistic spectrum disorder (ASD). A copy is available in the Library.

Autism

Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what guidance he issues to local authorities on support for adults with an autism spectrum disorder.

Ivan Lewis: 'Better services for people with an autistic spectrum disorder: A note clarifying current Government policy and describing good practice' was published on 16 November 2006. It clarifies the nature and intent of existing Government policy as it relates to adults with an autistic spectrum disorder. A copy is available in the Library.

Care Homes: Food

Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average daily cost to the public purse was of food for each publicly funded patient in a nursing home in the most recent period for which figures are available.

Ivan Lewis: The information requested is not collected centrally. Following the nutrition summits I held in March and July this year, the Department launched the Nutrition Action Plan on 30 October to tackle a wide range of issues and barriers to improving nutrition and nutritional care.

Childbirth

Anne Milton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate his Department has made of the percentage of births which did not require  (a) medical and  (b) significant midwifery intervention in each year since 1977; and if he will make a statement.

Ann Keen: The information requested is not available for all births in the years requested. "NHS Maternity Statistics" were first collected in 1989-90 and include the requested information for births in national health service hospitals only. The latest available data is for 2005-06. This information is available in the Library.

Consent to Medical Treatment

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 20 November 2007,  Official Report, column 820W, on consent to medical treatment, which primary care trusts have put in place procedures for implementing the Mental Capacity Act 2005.

Ivan Lewis: Resources for the implementation of the Mental Capacity Act were made available to the national health service and to local authorities separately. In addition local authorities were asked to take the lead in creating local implementation networks where all local stakeholders—health, social care, voluntary and private organisations—met and planned the local implementation and the local training to be made available. We expected all primary care trusts to participate in these networks, and have no information to suggest that they have not done so.

Cumbria

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether his Department plans to move any of its offices to the Westmorland and Lonsdale constituency.

Ben Bradshaw: The Department has no plans to move any of its offices to the Westmorland and Lonsdale constituency.

Dental Services

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking to ensure that patients are informed of their entitlement to treatment by an NHS dentist.

Ann Keen: Primary care trusts (PCTs) are responsible for ensuring that their local residents and people seeking services within their area are aware of the range of national health service services available. NHS dental services are a mainstream NHS service. Any United Kingdom resident (or visiting European Union resident under reciprocal arrangements) who is eligible for NHS care is therefore eligible for NHS dental services. PCTs' methods of promoting NHS dental services range from leaflets to targeted local advertising campaigns. Most also run dental helplines providing advice on how to access services locally. The location and other details of NHS dental practices can be accessed nationally via NHS Direct and NHS Choices or from the local PCT, often through Patient Advisory and Liaison Services.
	The Department works with the local NHS continually to improve patient communication. Improving the range and depth of information available via NHS Choices (previously NHS.UK) is one part of this ongoing work. The NHS Choices website is currently being enhanced to include a central contact number for each PCT through which potential patients can access information about the availability of services in their chosen area, in addition to the existing dental query helpline and out of hours contact numbers. We expect this improvement to the existing service to be available later this year, and further improvements will follow next year. The site can be accessed at:
	www.nhs.uk/Pages/homepage.aspx
	For those unable to access the information in this way, the information is more widely accessible through computerised information systems in libraries and other communal places. It is also anticipated that PCTs will continue to promote the availability of and entitlement to services in more traditional ways, using literature placed in other primary care premises such as general practices and pharmacies, in libraries, and in Yellow Pages wherever possible.

Dental Services: Attendance

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many missed dental appointments there were in each primary care trust area in each year since 1997.

Ann Keen: This information is not held centrally, and could be provided only at a disproportionate cost.

Dental Services: Cumbria

Jamie Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many dental practices are operating in  (a) Cumbria and  (b) Copeland.

Ann Keen: The NHS Business Services Authority's dental services division can provide validated information on the number of NHS dental practices only at disproportionate cost.

Dentistry: Student Numbers

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many students  (a) started and  (b) graduated from dentistry courses in England in each year since 1997.

Ann Keen: Information for 'home fee' students is provided in the following table:
	
		
			  Academic year  Admissions  Dental graduates 
			 1996-97 685 504 
			 1997-98 631 542 
			 1998-99 603 563 
			 1999-2000 600 554 
			 2000-01 623 591 
			 2001-02 626 566 
			 2002-03 665 524 
			 2003-04 672 548 
			 2004-05 674 565 
			 2005-06 848 560

Departmental Accountancy

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what policy costing guidance documents were in use within his Department prior to the development of the Department's policy costing handbook, aside from the Policy Appraisal and Health document dated November 2004.

Ben Bradshaw: Before the issuing of the Policy Costing Handbook no consolidated costing guidance documents were issued within the Department for policy branches. References to a range of other guidance which referred to costing had been provided through the Department's intranet, such as the Policy Appraisal and Health document, the Treasury's Green Book Appraisal and Evaluation in Central Government, NHS Costing Manual (for national health service reference costs) and the annual publication by the Personal Social Services Research Unit, Unit Costs of Health and Social Care.

Departmental Assets

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what departmental assets are planned to be sold in each financial year from 2007-08 to 2010-11; what the  (a) description and  (b) book value of each such asset is; what the expected revenue from each such sale is; and if he will make a statement.

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what departmental assets are planned to be sold in each financial year from 2007-08 to 2010-11; what the  (a) description and  (b) book value of each such asset is; and what the expected revenue from each such sale is.

Ben Bradshaw: The following tables of assets in the ownership of the Secretary of State are planned to be sold during 2007-08 and are aggregated for the period 2008 to 2011 as sale dates cannot be confirmed.
	The sale price has been given where a property has been sold. Where a property remains to be sold, the anticipated receipt is commercially confidential and therefore has not been provided.
	
		
			  2007-08 
			  Property  Description  Sale price (£000)  Asset value (£000) 
			 Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Hackney Former hospital — 7,632 
			 337-339 Hackney Road, Hackney Offices 1,430 600 
			 Land at Napsbury, St. Albans Open land — 443 
			 18 Paddington Green, London Offices 1,210 606 
			 St. James' Court, Balham Residential — 2,214 
			 332 High Road, Tottenham Offices — 195 
			 Dog Kennel Wood, Maidstone Woodland — 42 
			 Houses in Surrey Residential — 2,343 
			 Eastry Hospital, Eastry Former Hospital 1,700 1,700 
			 30 Paul Road, Bodmin Residential — 143 
			 35 Higher Kingston, Yeovil Offices — 34 
			 10 Woodside, Plymouth Offices — 238 
			 22-38 Princes Road, Redhill Residential — 1,212 
			 St. Mary's Hospital, Stannington Former hospital 3,875 9,993 
			 103 Oakwood Drive, Diversion Residential 129 131 
			 Sedgefield Hospital, Sedgefield Former hospital 3,268 3,067 
			 Agricultural land, Winterton Open land 105 105 
			 Willowburn, Maiden Law Hospital, Lanchester Hospice 185 191 
			 112 Northbourne Road, Jarrow Residential 83 83 
			 140 Hedworth Lane, Jarrow Residential 140 140 
			 27 Willow Grange, Jarrow Residential 131 133 
			 Eagle Cottage, Jarrow Residential — 461 
			 Land at South Elmsall, Wakefield Open land — 105 
			 Land at Morton Banks, Keighley Open land — 34 
			 18 Battlefield Lane, Holbeach Residential 116 144 
			 Holbeach Hospital, Holbeach Hospital — 617 
			 Warwick Cottage, Melton Mowbray Residential — 116 
			 Land at Honey lane, Waltham Abbey Open land 72 76 
			 Part Little Plumstead Hospital, Norwich Hospital — 6,324 
		
	
	
		
			  2008-09 to 2010-11 
			  Property  Description  Asset value 
			 63/65 Bardsley Drive, Farnham Residential 379 
			 Part Park Prewett Hospital, Basingstoke Various health related 9,075 
			 Land at Woodside, Plymouth Car park 132 
			 Northern View, Bradford Open land 8,229 
			 Lakeview Close, Walsall Health buildings 2,803 
			 Land at Crone Hills Health Centre, West Bromwich Land 50 
			 Land at Wellington Hospital, Telford Open land 270 
			 Part Royal Shrewsbury Hospital, Shrewsbury Open land (1)— 
			 Part Harperbury Hospital, Radlett Hospital (1)— 
			 Land at Harwich Hospital, Harwich Open land 823 
			 Harp Close Meadow, Sudbury Open land 377 
			 Primrose Lane, Huntington Health buildings 850 
			 Land at Victoria Hospital, Worksop Open land 470 
			 Horton House, Epsom Residential 706 
			 White Hart, Harrogate Conference facility 2,733 
			 Hazel Court, Battersea Residential 2,221 
			 Garratt Lane, Wandsworth Retail 268 
			 (1) To be determined.

Departmental Board

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the dates were of all meetings his Department's Departmental Board has held in 2007; and if he will place copies of the  (a) agenda and  (b) minutes of each meeting in the Library.

Ben Bradshaw: A summary of proceedings from each scheduled meeting of the Departmental Board is published on the Department's website within three months of the meeting. The Board met on the following dates in 2007:
	11 January
	15 February
	15 March
	19 April
	10 May
	14 June
	12 July
	11 October
	8 November
	Proceedings available so far have been placed in the Library. Proceedings from the meetings in October and November will be placed in the Library in due course.

Departmental Manpower

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many civil servants in his Department  (a) transferred to other Government Departments and  (b) left the civil service in each of the last five years.

Ben Bradshaw: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my hon. Friend the Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury, my hon. Friend the Member for Wallasey (Angela Eagle) on 13 November 2007,  Official Report, columns 203-07W.

Departmental Manpower

Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people aged  (a) 30 to 39,  (b) 40 to 49,  (c) 50 to 59 and  (d) 60 to 69 have (i) applied for jobs, (ii) received interviews and (iii) gained (A) temporary and (B) permanent jobs in his Department in 2007.

Ben Bradshaw: The Department does not hold age information on applicants or interviewees for temporary posts who are not appointed. We do not hold records on over-60s separately from those on over-50s. The following table presents the data available from existing records without disproportionate cost.
	
		
			  Age group  Applied  Interviewed  Appointed (to permanent posts) 
			  Internal Recruitment
			 30-39 104 72 20 
			 40-49 102 73 12 
			 over 50 35 21 1 
			 
			  External Recruitment
			 30-39 9 2 0 
			 40-49 5 2 0 
			 over 50 4 2 1

Departmental Manpower

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will place in the Library a copy of the organisational chart for staff in his Department.

Ben Bradshaw: The current Department of Health organisational chart has been placed in the Library.

Departmental Pay

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many staff in his Department received bonus payments in each of the last five years for which information is available; what proportion of the total work force they represented; what the total amount of bonuses paid has been; what the largest single payment was in each year; and if he will make a statement.

Ben Bradshaw: The table presents the number of staff receiving bonuses, the proportion of staff receiving bonuses (as a percentage), the total amount of bonuses paid and the largest single payment made in each year since 2004-05. Information for 2007-08 is not yet available.
	The Department changed its payroll provider in 2003-04. Information on performance bonus payments prior to 2004-05 is only available from individual payslips. To retrieve information for years prior to 2004-05 would therefore incur disproportionate cost.
	
		
			   Number of staff receiving bonuses  Percentage of staff receiving bonuses  Total amount paid as bonuses (£)  Largest single payment (£) 
			 2006-07 420 18 1,400,049 22,500 
			 2005-06 581 24 1,252,140 30,000 
			 2004-05 679 24 1,064,465 22,500

Departmental Press

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much his Department has spent on newspapers, magazines and periodical subscriptions in the last 12 months.

Ben Bradshaw: The Department's library service is responsible for central purchasing of newspapers, magazines and periodicals for library use and for retention by individual units. The Department spent £276,321 on newspapers, magazines and periodical subscriptions in the last 12 months.

Departmental Standards

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health on what date he expects to publish his Department's 2007 autumn performance report.

Ben Bradshaw: In line with HM Treasury guidelines, the Department's autumn performance report will be published by 15 December. However, the exact publication date is still to be decided.

Departmental Standards

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he expects to publish his Department's autumn performance report.

Ben Bradshaw: The Department of Health has not yet set a date for publication of its autumn performance report for 2007. However, it is our intention to publish it before the House rises for the Christmas recess.

Departments: Consultants

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which management consultancies his Department has engaged in the last 12 months, broken down by departmental directorate; and which such companies also work  (a) as and  (b) for providers to the NHS.

Ben Bradshaw: The Department does not collect information on contracts with management consultants in the format requested. To do so would attract disproportionate cost.
	A new system will be introduced in April 2008 called SHOWA, which will be able to gather such information for the Department.

Doctors and Dentists Review Body

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, with reference to paragraph 3.6 on page 20 of his Department's evidence to the Review Body on Doctors' and Dentists' Remuneration, how many voluntary redundancies there were over the same period, broken down into clinical and non-clinical redundancies.

Ann Keen: For the period between 1 April 2006 and 31 March 2007 there were 993 voluntary redundancies. Of these 812 (82 per cent.) were clinical and 181 (18 per cent.) were non-clinical. Only eight (0.08 per cent.) were medical voluntary redundancies.
	The comparative figures for the voluntary redundancies against paragraph 3.6 are shown in the following table. These are cumulative year-to-date figures.
	
		
			  Month  Clinical  Non-clinical  Total 
			  2006
			 September 87 301 388 
			 October 117 368 485 
			 November 124 530 654 
			 December 139 609 748 
			  2007
			 January 160 663 823 
			 February 175 712 887 
			 March 181 812 993

Doctors: Housing

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when decisions on changes to the arrangements for accommodation for junior doctors were made.

Ann Keen: The arrangements for accommodation of junior doctors changed as a result of changes in training for doctors in foundation year 1, brought about through modernising medical careers. The change means there is no longer a need for these doctors to be resident on hospital sites.
	Changes to the Medical Act 1983 were made following consultation, which ended in January 2006. The Department consulted extensively on the changes to the Act between 1 October 2005 and 31 January 2006 and the legislation went through Parliament in July 2006. We have implemented the provisions at the first opportunity.

Doctors: Housing

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether the Medical Act 1983 (Approved Medical Practices and Conditions of Residence) Regulations 2005 (S.I., 2005, No. 2413) applies to foundation year  (a) 1 and  (b) 2 junior doctors.

Ann Keen: The Medical Act 1983 (Approved Medical Practices and Conditions of Residence) Regulations 2005 lapsed from 1 August 2007. Therefore, the 2005 Regulations are no longer in force.

Doctors: Housing

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what guidance he has given to NHS trusts on charging junior doctors for hospital-owned accommodation.

Ann Keen: Guidance already exists within the terms and conditions of employment for junior doctors on the application of charges for accommodation provided through hospital channels. It was not considered necessary to issue further guidance for doctors already covered by existing contractual provisions as the change to the Medical Act did not alter their situation in respect of tax or rental charges.

Doctors: Housing

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what consultation he has had with junior doctors on the removal of the statutory responsibility of trusts to require junior doctors to reside on site.

Ann Keen: The Medical Act 1983 made it a requirement of provisional registration with the General Medical Council for junior doctors to live in accommodation supplied by the hospital or conveniently nearby to where he was employed. The Department held meetings on the provision of accommodation with the Junior Doctors Committee in March 2004, August 2004 and March 2005 prior to the consultation on the changes to the law between October 2005 and January 2006.

Emergency Calls: Ambulance Services

Boris Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average time taken to respond to an emergency telephone call by the ambulance service was in  (a) England,  (b) London and  (c) each London borough in each year since 1997.

Ben Bradshaw: The information requested is not collected centrally.
	The ambulance response time data that are collected, and which include the number of emergency calls received by ambulance trusts across England and their performances against the targets set, are published annually. The latest statistical bulletin, 'Ambulance Services, England, 2006-07' was published in June 2007. A copy is available in the Library.

Eyesight: Testing

Jamie Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many children under the age of 16 years have received free NHS eye tests in  (a) Cumbria and  (b) Copeland in the last five years.

Ann Keen: Information on children aged 15 or under receiving free national health service sight tests will be available at primary care trust level in the publication 'General Ophthalmic Services: Activity Statistics for England and Wales: April to September 2007'. This will be published by March 2008.

General Practitioners: Private Sector

Ben Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the extent of private companies' co-operation with general practitioners on service configuration.

Ann Keen: None. Proposals for the reconfiguration of services are a matter for the national health service locally, working in conjunction with clinicians, patients and other stakeholders.

General Practitioners: Private Sector

Ben Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what his policy is on the engagement of general practitioners in private healthcare facilities; and if he will make a statement.

Ben Bradshaw: It is a personal matter for general practitioners and private providers of healthcare facilities to determine their contractual arrangements in delivery of non-national health service services.

Health Services: Foreigners

David Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the amount spent by the NHS each year on providing NHS outpatient care for non-EU citizens.

Dawn Primarolo: It is not possible to provide the information requested. Successive Governments have not required the national health service to provide statistics on the number of foreign nationals seen, treated or charged under the provisions of the National Health Service (Charges to Overseas Visitors) Regulations 1989, as amended, nor any costs involved.

Health Services: Immigrants

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what  (a) health and  (b) financial impact assessments he has made of charging refused asylum seekers or other undocumented migrants for NHS care; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: Charging refused asylum seekers and other undocumented migrants for national health service hospital treatment has been in place for over 18 years. In conjunction with the Home Office, the Department is currently reviewing access by foreign nationals to NHS healthcare. The review is looking at a range of asylum and immigration issues as well as public health and humanitarian concerns.
	Charging overseas visitors for hospital treatment is not merely about the protection of scarce NHS resources. Equally important is the protection of the principle that the NHS exists primarily for those people who are living on a legal and settled basis in the United Kingdom, not those who are not.

Hearing Impaired: Health Services

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people are waiting for hearing tests in  (a) England,  (b) West Yorkshire,  (c) Hemsworth constituency,  (d) Mid Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust and  (e) Pontefract Primary Care Trust; what steps are being taken to reduce the numbers of people waiting; and if he will make a statement.

Ivan Lewis: The available information is shown in the following table.
	
		
			  Waits for audiology assessments in requested organisations—September 2007 
			  Organisation/area  Audiology assessments: total waiting  Audiology assessments: number waiting 6+ weeks  Audiology assessments: number waiting 13+ weeks  Audiology assessments: number waiting 26+ weeks 
			 Provider—Mid Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust 36 0 0 0 
			  
			 Commissioner—Wakefield PCT 32 6 4 2 
			 Yorkshire and the Humber SHA 7,684 5,485 4,654 3,674 
			 England—Commissioner level 91,349 59,415 42,542 30,384 
			  Notes: 1. Only information on audiological assessments is collected. Audiology assessments include hearing tests, which cannot be separately identified. 2. Pontefract has no primary care trust (PCT) but is part of Wakefield PCT.  Source:  Diagnostic Monthly Monitoring (DM01) 
		
	
	As part of the process to address the challenges in audiology services the Department, working with key stakeholders, developed the national audiology framework, 'Improving Access to Audiology Services in England', which was published in March 2007. Since the publication of the framework a number of key steps have already been implemented; we have improved the data on audiology by collecting monthly data of all audiology assessments together with a quarterly census of waits for all diagnostic tests, including audiology. We are also currently piloting the collection of referral to treatment times for all direct access referrals into audiology. A good practice guide was published in June 2007 that includes model pathways for the delivery of care. An audiology advisory board has been created to support the implementation and to review progress on the key deliverables. Progress has been made on testing the new assess-and-fit technology which enables a hearing aid to be fitted on the same day as assessment. Work has also begun on the Audiology Transformation Project, which is aimed at ensuring the good practice guidance can be fully implemented and the potential gains in capacity realised.
	The strategic health authorities have provided assurance that their activity plans for 2007-08 aim to deliver the six-week maximum wait for all diagnostic tests, including audiology assessments, by March 2008.
	With regard to the local position, a new joint £3 million investment from Wakefield District PCT and Kirklees PCT has enabled the Mid Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust to cut the waiting times for digital hearing aid assessment to six weeks. The investment has been used to fund additional staff for extra clinics at the Mid Yorkshire Hospitals Trust and also to offer further services in the community. This means that more patients are being seen, and are having their digital hearing aids fitted as soon as possible, with the majority of patients having aids fitted within 12 weeks.

HIV Infection

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the number of people in the UK who had HIV  (a) at the latest date for which figures are available and  (b) in each of the previous five years.

Dawn Primarolo: The information available is shown in the table.
	
		
			  Estimated number of adults (aged 15-59) living with HIV (both diagnosed and undiagnosed) in the UK between 2001 and 2006 
			   Estimate 
			 2006(1) 69,400 
			 2005 63,500 
			 2004 58,300 
			 2003(2) 53,000 
			 2002 49,500 
			 2001 41,200 
			 (1) From 2004 to 2006, estimates exclude individuals aged 15-59 living with HIV who were infected through blood, tissue or blood products (466 in 2006) or through mother-to-infant transmission (233 in 2006) because the proportion undiagnosed cannot be reliably estimated for these prevention groups. Numbers diagnosed include individuals with unknown exposure, allocated to each category according to the distribution of those with known exposure. These estimates (rounded to the nearest 100) with credible ranges were estimated using Multi-parameter Evidence Synthesis, in an extension of the method described in Goubar A et al. www.hpa.org.uk/infections/topics_az/hiv_and_sti/publications/cesaHPAreport.pdf.  This methodology combines data from a number of sources such as the "Annual survey of HIV-infected persons accessing care, Unlinked anonymous surveillance, NATSAL 2000, ICH National Study of HIV in Pregnancy and Childhood." (2) From 2001 to 2003, no range is available for these estimates. Numbers diagnosed were adjusted for under-reporting and failure to access services. Numbers undiagnosed derived for England, Wales and Scotland using data from Natsal 2000 and the Unlinked Anonymous programme in an extension of the method previously described (Petruckevitch et al. "Genitourinary Medicine 1997; 73:348-54"). Numbers undiagnosed for Northern Ireland derived by using exposure specific factors. All cases infected through blood and blood products or tissue were assumed to be diagnosed. (3) Published estimates prior to 2005 only include persons aged 15-59. The methodology for calculating these estimates changed between 2003 and 2004 (although the key data sources were the same).  Source:  Health Protection Agency

HIV Infection: Death

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people in the UK died from AIDS in each of the last five years; and how many in each year were under the age of 25.

Dawn Primarolo: The information available is shown in the following table.
	
		
			  Number of deaths among HIV-infected individuals in the United Kingdom 2002-06 by year of death and age at death( 1) 
			  Age at death  2002  2003  2004  2005  2006 
			 < 25 years 13 12 12 8 18 
			 > 25 years 507 560 484 531 479 
			 Total 520 572 496 539 497 
			 (1) Includes all deaths in HIV-infected as it is presently not possible to assign deaths by primary cause and an individual may have several causes of death which can be difficult to interpret.  Notes: 1. Data in the table include reports received by the end of June 2007. Numbers will rise as further reports are received. 2. Deaths are reported by region of death; the individual may have been infected and diagnosed with HIV elsewhere in the UK or abroad. Region of death is not reported in all cases.  Source:  Health Protection Agency.

HIV Infection: Young People

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people in the UK under the age of 25 were diagnosed with HIV in each of the last five years.

Dawn Primarolo: The information requested is shown in the following table.
	
		
			  HIV diagnoses in the United Kingdom among individuals aged less than 25 years at diagnosis, by year of HIV diagnosis 
			   Number 
			 2002 796 
			 2003 965 
			 2004 1,019 
			 2005 1,006 
			 2006(1) 860 
			 (1) Cumulative data reported by the end of June 2007. Numbers will rise as further reports are received.  Note: The data includes many individuals who have been infected with HIV outside the UK but who have been subsequently diagnosed in the UK.  Source:  Health Protection Agency.

Home Visits: Subsistence Allowances

Charles Walker: To ask the Secretary of State for Health in what year the 40p per mile payment was introduced for NHS clinical staff who use their own cars for patient visits; and if he will increase this payment.

Ann Keen: The current mileage allowances for national health service staff employed on national conditions of service including the 40p per mile were introduced in July 2000.
	The rates are set by the NHS Staff Council.

Hospitals: Cleaning Services

Jamie Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what progress is being made on plans to deep- clean hospitals.

Ann Keen: As the Prime Minister announced in September, deep cleaning will occur in all hospitals, starting this winter, with resources allocated through the strategic health authorities (SHAs).
	A letter from the Chief Nursing Officer and Director General of National Health Service Finance, Performance and Operations was sent to the NHS on 1 November giving instructions on the various measures targeting healthcare-associated infections, including deep cleaning.
	Each trust's deep-clean plan will vary according to local need. Trusts will agree costed deep-clean plans with their lead commissioners and SHA, who will monitor performance against this plan, as per normal performance management arrangements. Foundation trusts will also be invited to agree plans and funding for additional deep cleaning with local commissioners, together with local arrangements for checking the agreed work has been carried out. SHAs will take an overview as to progress across their area and will report to the Department.
	I refer my hon. Friend to the written ministerial statement on 21 November 2007,  Official Report, column 134WS.

Hospitals: Food

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average spending per meal on hospital food was in each financial year since 1997-98 for which figures are available.

Ann Keen: The information requested is in the following table. Data was not collected before 2001-02.
	
		
			   Average amount spent per patient main meal (£) 
			 2001-02 2.19 
			 2002-03 2.41 
			 2003-04 2.37 
			 2004-05 2.60 
			 2005-06 2.65 
			 2006-07 2.83 
		
	
	In-patients are expected to receive three main meals per day. The spend includes the cost of provisions and staff costs. The data are collected from the national health service. Since 2004-05 the data provided has not been collected on a mandatory basis and therefore will not be complete.

Hospitals: Hygiene

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the likely effect of compulsory ward inspections on  (a) hygiene standards and  (b) infection rates in hospitals.

Ann Keen: The Healthcare Commission is currently carrying out spot checks of 120 trusts and, from next year, the commission will be undertaking annual specialist inspections of all acute trusts. It will be for the Healthcare Commission to decide how detailed an inspection is required in any individual case and inspections are likely to vary in depth, with the greatest focus being on those trusts giving rise to the greatest concern.
	The Healthcare Commission has the power to issue improvement notices where it finds material failures to comply with the statutory code of practice for the prevention and control of healthcare-associated infections, in order to ensure that such failings are remedied.
	As these inspections will be in place, the Department considers that compulsory ward inspections would duplicate activity.

Hospitals: Infectious Diseases

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many cases of  (a) methicillin-resistant  staphylococcus aureus,  (b) vancomycin-intermediate  staphylococcus aureus,  (c) clostridium difficile- associated diarrhoea,  (d) vancomycin-resistant  staphylococcus aureus and  (e) glycopeptide-resistant enterococci were recorded in each hospital in England in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement.

Ann Keen: From April 2001 all national health service acute trusts in England were required to report all cases of methicillin-resistant  Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) bloodstream infections under the mandatory surveillance scheme run by the Health Protection Agency (HPA). The latest data for each trust for the quarter from April to June 2007 and for each 12 month period from April 2001 to March 2007 are available (table 3 and table 5 respectively) at
	www.hpa.org.uk/infections/topics_az/hai/Mandatory_Results.htm
	Data are not collected for vancomycin-intermediates  Staphylococcus aureus or vancomycin-resistant  Staphylococcus aureus under the mandatory surveillance scheme. However, the Staphylococcal Reference and Antibiotic Resistance Monitoring Laboratory (ARMRL), the national reference laboratory responsible for the detection and investigation of antibiotic resistance, has screened over 50,000 MRSA isolates for resistance to vancomycin in the past 10 years. Of these, the ARMRL has confirmed two isolates of vancomycin-intermediate  Staphylococcus aureus. The ARMRL has not confirmed any isolates of vancomycin-resistant  Staphylococcus aureus.
	Information is also available by acute NHS trust for England for  Clostridium difficile infection under the mandatory surveillance scheme from January 2004 in people aged 65 years and over. The latest data for the first two quarters of 2007 and data for 2004, 2005 and 2006 are available at (table 1 and table 2 respectively)
	www.hpa.org.uk/infections/topics_az/hai/Mandatory_Results.htm
	The HPA also collects acute trust data on Glycopeptide-resistant enterococci blood stream infections in England from October 2003. Data for each 12 month period from October 2003 to September 2006 were published in July 2007 at:
	www.hpa.org.uk/infections/topics_az/enterococci/mandatory_surveillance.htm

Hospitals: Infectious Diseases

Diane Abbott: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the effect on the level of hospital-acquired infections of the widespread introduction of subcontracting in hospital cleaning; and if he will make a statement.

Ann Keen: Mandatory surveillance of health care associated infections was not introduced until 2001 but prevalence surveys of health care associated infections were undertaken in 1980, 1993 and 2006. There has been little change in the prevalence of hospital acquired infections overall over the last 20 years.
	The Conservative Government introduced compulsory competitive tendering in 1983, requiring the national health service to market-test domestic cleaning, catering, and linen and laundry services on a regular basis. This Government lifted that requirement in 2000, and trusts must now benchmark their services before deciding whether to market-test.
	Current guidance on contracting for cleaning makes it clear that quality must be considered alongside cost in decisions on how to provide cleaning services. Recent information suggests that there is currently no difference between in-house and outsourced cleaning in terms of standards and outcomes.

Immigration Status of Employees

John Redwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the Prime Minister's answer of 14 November 2007,  Official Report, columns 657-8, on the immigration status of employees, what steps his Department has taken to establish the immigration status of its employees since the Security Industry Authority wrote to employers in August on security checks.

Ben Bradshaw: We apply the baseline security checks, which include a nationality check, to all employees on entry to this Department; this forms part of our standard recruitment process and is applied to permanent, fixed-term and casual employees.

Incontinence

Graham Allen: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when the Under-Secretary of State for Health, the hon. Member for Brentford and Isleworth (Ann Keen) will meet the hon. Member for Nottingham North to discuss the issues relating to incontinence arising from the Westminster Hall debate on 24th October 2007,  Official Report, columns 93-100WH.

Ann Keen: The Under-Secretary of State for Health has now arranged a meeting with my hon. Friend to discuss issues relating to incontinence on Wednesday 5 December.

Influenza

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what quantity of influenza vaccine the Government's scientific advisers have recommended should be stockpiled; and what quantity of influenza vaccine has been stockpiled.

Dawn Primarolo: The Government have already stockpiled 3.3 million doses of H5N1 vaccine. The science underpinning the further development and potential use of pre-pandemic vaccine, including the range of options for the size of any future stockpile, has been reviewed by United Kingdom and other international experts. Their conclusions are available on the Department's website at
	www.advisorybodies.doh.gov.uk/sagpf/minutes/sag-modelling-summary-nov2007.pdf

Influenza

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the expenditure on the seasonal influenza immunisation programme, broken down by major cost area.

Dawn Primarolo: The major costs of the flu immunisation programme for England are estimated to be as follows:
	
		
			   £ million 
			 Vaccine cost reimbursement 54 
			 Item of service payment 67 
			 Personal administration fee 21 
		
	
	These estimates are based on last year's costs. The costs do not take into account any locally-funded initiatives, or incentives via the Quality Outcomes Framework.

Malnutrition

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proportion of finished episodes of care with a primary diagnosis of  (a) coronary heart disease,  (b) stroke and transient ischaemic attack,  (c) diabetes,  (d) chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder,  (e) cancer,  (f) dementia,  (g) depression and  (h) chronic kidney disease had a secondary diagnosis of malnutrition or nutritional anaemias in each year since 1997-98.

Ann Keen: The following table shows a count of finished consultant episodes where the primary diagnosis was either coronary heart disease, stroke and ischaemic attack, diabetes, chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder, cancer, dementia, depression or chronic kidney disease and the proportion of these which also had a secondary diagnosis of malnutrition or nutritional anaemia, in each year since 1997-98 to 2005-06 (the latest data available).
	
		
			  NHS hospitals, England 
			   Finished consultant episodes where the primary diagnosis is either coronary heart disease, stroke and ischaemic attack, diabetes, chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder, cancer, dementia, depression or chronic kidney disease.  Finished consultant episodes where the primary diagnosis is either coronary heart disease, stroke and ischaemic attack, diabetes, chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder, cancer, dementia, depression or chronic kidney disease and the secondary diagnosis is malnutrition or nutritional anaemia.  Percentage of finished consultant episodes where the primary diagnosis is either coronary heart disease, stroke and ischaemic attack, diabetes, chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder, cancer, dementia, depression or chronic kidney disease, that had a secondary diagnosis of either malnutrition or nutritional anaemia. 
			 2005-06 2,234,947 18,552 0.83 
			 2004-05 2,131,758 16,422 0.77 
			 2003-04 2,076,479 14,640 0.71 
			 2002-03 2,011,836 13,364 0.66 
			 2001-02 1,947,016 11,445 0.59 
			 2000-01 1,929,903 10,301 0.53 
			 1999-2000 1,930,793 9,865 0.51 
			 1998-99 1,834,918 9,740 0.53 
			 1997-98 1,742,749 9,381 0.54 
			  Notes:  1.  Diagnosis (Primary Diagnosis)  The primary diagnosis is the first of up to 14 (seven prior to 2002-03) diagnosis fields in the HES data set and provides the main reason why the patient was in hospital.  2.  Secondary Diagnoses  As well as the primary diagnosis, there are up to 13 (six prior to 2002-03) secondary diagnosis fields in HES that show other diagnoses relevant to the episode of care.  3. Finished Consultant Episode (FCE)  A FCE is defined as a period of admitted patient care under one consultant within one health care provider. The figures do not represent the number of patients, as a person may have more than one episode of care within the year.  4.  Ungrossed Data  Figures have not been adjusted for shortfalls in data (i.e. the data are ungrossed).  5.  Assessing growth through time  HES figures are available from 1989-90 onwards. During the years that these records have been collected by the national health service there have been ongoing improvements in quality and coverage. These improvements in information submitted by the NHS have been particularly marked in the earlier years and need to be borne in mind when analysing time series. Changes in NHS practice also need to be borne in mind when analysing time series. For example a number of procedures may now be undertaken in outpatient settings and may no longer be accounted in the HES data. This may account for any reductions in activity over time.  Source:  Hospital Episode Statistics (HES), The Information Centre for health and social care.

Mentally Ill: Deaths

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many deaths of patients have occurred in mental health institutions over the last five years.

Ivan Lewis: holding answer 13 November 2007
	Information on the total number of in-patient deaths in national health service mental health accommodation in England from 2001-02 to 2005-06 is shown in the following table.
	
		
			  Total number of in - patient deaths in NHS acute hospitals and other NHS accommodation in England from 2001-02 to 2005-06 
			   Number 
			 2001-02 2,970 
			 2002-03 2,920 
			 2003-04 2,660 
			 2004-05 2,490 
			 2005-06 1,980 
			  Notes: 1. Data refer to all male and female deaths, for all age groups and from all causes. 2. Ungrossed data: the figures have not been adjusted for shortfalls in data.  Source: Hospital Episode Statistics, the Information Centre for health and social care

Mid Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust: Finance

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will place in the Library a copy of the recent report by PricewaterhouseCoopers to his Department on the Mid Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust's financial position.

Ann Keen: The Department introduced a new working capital loans system in 2006-07. As a result, there were 17 NHS trusts that could not afford to meet the repayments within a reasonable timescale. Mid Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust was one of these trusts.
	As announced in our quarter 4 NHS financial performance report 2006-07, the Department, along with SHAs, is working through a review process with these trusts to identify long-term solutions in these areas.
	PricewaterhouseCoopers was commissioned to carry out the review at Mid Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust. The Department is considering this report, along with the reports relating to other trusts in the financially challenged trust regime, in relation to current policy formation and development.
	With this in mind we are currently applying section 36 of the Freedom of Information Act to the report, as the information would be likely to inhibit free and frank provision of advice and the free and frank exchange of views for the purposes of deliberations.
	The results of this review process are being discussed with the strategic health authorities and solutions are being prepared in the context of the operating framework for 2008-09.

Midwives

Anne Milton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many registered midwives were not practising in each year since 1997; and if he will make a statement.

Ann Keen: This information is not collected centrally. However, the annual work force census on 31 September 2006 showed there were 24,469 qualified midwives working in the NHS in England, an increase of 2,084 (9 per cent.) since 1997.

Milton Keynes Hospital: Maternity Services

Mark Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many midwives worked in Milton Keynes hospital in each month of the last three years.

Ivan Lewis: holding answer 26 November 2007
	This is a matter for the chair of Milton Keynes Hospital National Health Service Foundation Trust. I have written to Mike Rowlands informing him of the hon. Member's inquiry. He will reply shortly and a copy of the letter will be placed in the Library.

NHS: Complaints

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many complaints were made about services at each NHS trust in each of the last three years; and how many such cases resulted in litigation.

Ann Keen: The information requested has been placed in the Library. It details the number of written complaints about hospital and community services received by each individual national health services trust in 2004-05, 2005-06, and 2006-07.
	There is no direct causal link between cases of litigation and complaints, as it is possible to pursue litigation without first lodging a formal complaint; and aggregated information on litigation cases is held separately by the NHS Litigation Authority. There are therefore no data available on how many individual litigation cases begin as complaints. Data on number of litigation cases in 2004-05, 2005-06, and 2006-07 are set out in the following table.
	
		
			   CNST  Existing Liability Scheme (ELS)  Ex-regional health authorities (Ex-RHAs)  Total 
			 2004-05 5,273 329 7 5,609 
			 2005-06 5,427 270 0 5,697 
			 2006-07 5,280 146 0 5,426 
			  Note: CNST is for clinical negligence incidents from 1 April 1995, ELS for clinical negligence pre 1 April 1995, and Ex-RHA is for liabilities relating to the Ex-RHAs. The number of claims relates to the year a claim is made, not the year the incident occurred.

NHS: Finance

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will place in the Library copies of the recovery plans agreed by strategic health authorities for all trusts that were in deficit at the end of 2006-07.

Ben Bradshaw: The Department manages the financial performance of the national health service through strategic health authorities (SHAs). National health service organisations that overspend are required to develop recovery plans to demonstrate how they will return to financial balance. Recovery plans are agreed and managed by SHAs, so the information requested is not held by the Department.

NHS: Internet

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what patient involvement there has been in the design of the NHS Choices website.

Ben Bradshaw: NHS Choices has carried out extensive engagement with patients, voluntary groups and professional bodies on the design of the NHS Choices website. This engagement is integral to the development of the site and will continue as NHS Choices evolves.
	NHS Choices is a service aimed at all those interested in health information and services, including patients. An extensive programme of qualitative and quantitative user research and testing has been completed to inform the design of the service both pre and post launch. This type of research has informed, and will continue to inform, the evolution of the site's products and design.
	Pre-launch (NHS Choices was launched in June 2007) a series of workshops were conducted with members of the public, general practitioners (GPs), health service workers, and voluntary and public-sector intermediaries designed to test the service vision. NHS Choices also carried out tactical 'scorecard' and 'naming' research among groups of C2DE internet users.
	Post-launch, three learning forums have been used to test the live site, site propositions and design and content prototypes with groups of internet users drawn from all ages, genders and ethnic groups. Each session comprises of four groups, and lessons from these groups have been feeding into service development for subsequent releases.
	A representative survey of general practices in England has also been conducted to benchmark awareness and usage of the site, provide a broad site evaluation and test various service propositions. In addition, qualitative research has been used with GPs to understand in greater detail their engagement as clinicians with the site, and again to test further developed service propositions.
	To engage with national health service staff, 10 road shows have been conducted across the country. This engaged more than 500 NHS staff from trusts to primary care trust and practice managers.
	Product development has also involved a high level of engagement. The site's new GP profiles are designed around a three-year research programme by Manchester university, a pilot by the National Programme for Information Technology and extensive negotiations with the British Medical Association, Royal College of the General Practitioners and other professional bodies. New services piloted across the country are also being evaluated with users, such as the qualitative research in Derby with young people to inform smoking cessation and physical health services.
	Further qualitative research is planned with young mothers and with those with long-term health conditions and their carers to specifically test proposed products such as NHS LifeCheck and condition pathways. NHS Choices' customer insight team are also about to conduct an on-line survey with GPs to further test 'score-card' content and GP service engagement.
	NHS Choices will soon be scheduling on-line surveys with public users (some with long-term health conditions) and continuing to provide qualitative or quantitative research to address product development needs. A nationwide survey of pharmacists will be conducted in the near future to benchmark their awareness and usage of the service as well as their broader evaluation of the service.
	The Department is also carrying out a nationwide quantitative survey by the Central Office of Information and Market and Opinion Research International benchmarking usage awareness of the service among the public as well as health information and service behaviours via the internet.
	NHS Choices has also worked with the Royal National Institute of Blind People to carry out an accessibility assessment on the site.

NHS: Public Appointments

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what criteria are used by the NHS Appointments Commission in evaluating the suitability of candidates for the position of chair of NHS hospital trusts.

Ann Keen: The Appointments Commission is directed by the Secretary of State for Health to appoint people to NHS boards with a range of skills and experience including those with a strong community service and/or voluntary sector background. Appointments are made on the overriding principle merit and in an open and transparent way. The current criteria used are as follows.
	 Qualities required to be an NHS trust chair
	Candidates will need to demonstrate that they have the necessary experience, and will need to show that they have:
	experience of leading an organisation with a significant budget and of comparable complexity;
	a considerable reputation within their field whether public, private or voluntary sector;
	a portfolio of high level governance and organisational skills including strategic planning, financial management, risk management, organisation performance management and service development in a regulated environment; and
	experience of building alliances and working relationships with a range of stakeholders.
	Preference will be given to candidates who live in the area served by the organisation but specific eligibility criteria may apply.
	Candidates who are shortlisted for interview will need to show that they have the competencies required to be effective in this demanding leadership role. They are
	Patient and community focus—high level of commitment to patients, carers and the community and to tackling health inequalities in disadvantaged groups;
	Self belief and drive—the motivation to improve NHS performance and the confidence to take on challenges;
	Intellectual flexibility—the ability to be creative, make sense of complexity and clarify it for other people;
	Strategic direction—the ability to develop a clear vision and enthuse others;
	Holding to account—the willingness to be held to account for board performance and the ability to hold the chief executive and non-executives to account;
	Team working—the ability to take on a personal leadership role and build an effective team;
	Effective influencing and communication—a high level of ability to gain support and influence, political acumen.

Prescription Drugs: Side Effects

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many patients in England  (a) were admitted to hospital and  (b) died because of a negative reaction to prescription drugs in each of the last three years.

Dawn Primarolo: Reports of suspected adverse drug reactions (ADRs) are collected by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) and the Commission for Human Medicines (CHM) through the spontaneous reporting scheme, the yellow card scheme. Approximately 20,000 reports of ADRs are reported to the MHRA/CHM through this scheme each year. The scheme collects ADR reports from across the whole United Kingdom and includes all medicines, including those from prescriptions, over-the-counter or general retail sales. Reports are also received for herbal medicines and other unlicensed medicines.
	The following table shows the number of UK suspected ADR reports received by the MHRA between 2004 and 2006 which have: had a fatal outcome; or resulted in or prolonged hospitalisation.
	
		
			  Year received by MHRA  Number of UK suspected ADR reports received which resulted in or prolonged hospitalisation  Number of UK suspected ADR reports received with a fatal outcome  Number of UK suspected ADR reports received which resulted in or prolonged hospitalisation and had a fatal outcome 
			 2004 4,429 861 222 
			 2005 4,579 1,021 220 
			 2006 4,635 964 203 
		
	
	It is not possible to estimate from the yellow card scheme the number of people who suffer adverse reactions to drugs since the scheme is associated with an unknown level of under-reporting. In addition, it is important to note that the submission of a suspected ADR report does not necessarily mean that it was caused by the drug. Many factors have to be taken into account in assessing causal relationships including temporal association, the possible contribution of concomitant medication and the underlying disease.

Occupational Health: Private Sector

Anne Milton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate his Department has made of the cost to a private employer of a specialist nurse visit.

Ann Keen: No estimate has been made centrally. It is for local trusts to determine the cost of providing a national health service employee to a private employer.

St Helier Hospital: Maternity Services

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much was spent on the provision of maternity services at St Helier hospital, Surrey in each of the last 10 years for which figures are available.

Dawn Primarolo: This information is not held centrally by the Department. It is for the local national health service to decide on the provision of maternity services based on the needs of the local population.

Telford and Wrekin Primary Care Trust: Bowel Cancer

David Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when the national bowel cancer screening programme will be implemented in the Telford and Wrekin primary care trust area.

Ann Keen: The National Health Service bowel cancer screening programme is one of the first national bowel screening programmes in the world, and the first cancer screening programme in England to invite men as well as women. It is an ambitious project, with national roll-out of the programme expected by December 2009, with all people in the age range receiving an invitation by 2011. Implementation in the Telford and Wrekin area will occur on a phased basis from 2008-09. The provision of local health services is the responsibility of the local NHS organisations in conjunction with their strategic health authorities.

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Afghanistan: Reconstruction

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development pursuant to the answer of 19 November 2007,  Official Report, column 551W, on Afghanistan: reconstruction, what progress has been made towards meeting the benchmarks of the Afghanistan Compact.

Shahid Malik: The latest full reporting against all 43 benchmarks outlined in the Afghan Compact by the Joint Co-ordination and Monitoring Board (JCMB) took place on 1 May 2007 with JCMB V. The next full report against all benchmarks will be at JCMB VII, currently planned to be held on 6 February 2008 in Japan.
	JCMB VI recently reported that of the 12 short-life benchmarks due to be completed before 2011, the majority have been achieved or are on schedule. Benchmark 1.4, Disbandment of Illegal Armed Groups, was extended to March 2011 based on the presentation of a roadmap to it in line with the timeline for the development of security sector reform initiatives, including the development of the Afghan National Army and Afghan National Police. Difficulties with achieving the following benchmarks were highlighted at JCMB VI: mine action (1.6), CSO baseline statistics (2.3.2), minerals regulations (3.4) and banking (8.4).
	A full history and list of progress against all benchmarks can be found online at
	www.ands.gov.af

Basra Development Commission: Standards

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what progress the Basra Development Commission has made against its objectives since its launch; and if he will make a statement.

Shahid Malik: Prime Minister Gordon Brown and Iraqi Deputy Prime Minister Barham Saleh met in Baghdad in October 2007 and agreed that the UK would help establish a development commission in Basra to promote private sector growth. The Basra Development Commission will provide the strategic advice and vision to help kick-start Basra's economy.
	Since October, the UK-led Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT) in Basra has been working with the provincial council to develop the Commission's role and identify potential commissioners from Iraq, the region and internationally, including from the UK. It is expected that, following inauguration later this month, appointed officials and commissioners will develop detailed objectives and that the Commission will be fully functioning by March 2008.

Departmental Data Protection

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many requests his Department received from the National Audit Office for access to databases containing personal information on members of the general public in each year since 1997.

Douglas Alexander: I refer the hon. Member to the statement made by right hon. Friend the Prime Minister on 21 November 2007,  Official Report, column 1179. The review by the Cabinet Secretary and security experts is looking at procedures within Departments and agencies for the storage and use of data. A statement on Departments' procedures will be made on completion of the review.

Departmental Data Protection

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what provisions his Department has in place to ensure that databases containing personal information on members of the general public are not accessed  (a) by unauthorised staff and  (b) by authorised staff for unauthorised purposes;

Shailesh Vara: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development 
	(1)  how many breaches of data protection security there were in his Department in each of the last five years; and if he will provide details of each breach;
	(2)  on how many occasions the Information Commissioner was contacted by his Department to report breaches of data protection security in each of the last five years;

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what procedures are in place in his Department to ensure that personal information relating to members of the public is  (a) stored and  (b) transported securely.

Douglas Alexander: I refer the hon. Member to the statement made by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister on 21 November 2007,  Official Report, column 1179. The review by the Cabinet Secretary and security experts is looking at procedures within Departments and Agencies for the storage and use of data. A statement on Departments' procedures will be made on completion of the review.

Departmental Data Protection

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many times electronic databases in his Department containing personal information on members of the public were accessed in each month of each of the last five years.

Douglas Alexander: I refer the hon. Member to the statement made by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister on 21 November 2007,  Official Report, column 1179. The review by the Cabinet Secretary and security experts is looking at procedures within Departments and agencies for the storage and use of data. A statement on Departments' procedures will be made on completion of the review.

Departmental Data Protection

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many staff at each grade in his Department have access to electronic databases which contain personal information on members of the public.

Douglas Alexander: I refer the hon. Member to the statement made by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister on 21 November 2007,  Official Report, column 1179. The review by the Cabinet Secretary and security experts is looking at procedures within Departments and agencies for the storage and use of data. A statement on Departments' procedures will be made on completion of the review.

Departmental Data Protection

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many breaches of personal data security there were in his Department in each year since 1997.

Douglas Alexander: I refer the hon. Member to the statement made by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister on 21 November 2007,  Official Report, column 1179. The review by the Cabinet Secretary and security experts is looking at procedures within Departments and agencies for the storage and use of data. A statement on Departments' procedures will be made on completion of the review.

Departmental Data Protection

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development when each electronic database in his Department which contains personal data was created.

Douglas Alexander: I refer the hon. Member to the statement made by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister on 21 November 2007,  Official Report, column 1179. The review by the Cabinet Secretary and security experts is looking at procedures within Departments and agencies for the storage and use of data. A statement on Departments' procedures will be made on completion of the review.

Departmental Data Protection

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many electronic databases his Department has which contain the  (a) names,  (b) addresses,  (c) bank details and  (d) other personal information of members of the public.

Douglas Alexander: I refer the hon. Member to the statement made by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister on 21 November 2007,  Official Report, column 1179. The review by the Cabinet Secretary and security experts is looking at procedures within Departments and agencies for the storage and use of data. A statement on Departments' procedures will be made on completion of the review.

Departmental Data Protection

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development whether he proposes to review how his Department transports data; and whether his Department uses TNT to transport data.

Douglas Alexander: I refer the hon. Member to the statement made by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister on 21 November 2007,  Official Report, column 1179. The review by the Cabinet Secretary and security experts is looking at procedures within Departments and agencies for the storage and use of data. A statement on Departments' procedures will be made on completion of the review.

Departmental Data Protection

Robert Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many breaches of the Data Protection Act 1998 requiring investigation there have been in the last five years in his Department; what the nature of such breaches was; and what the results of the investigations were in each case.

Douglas Alexander: I refer the hon. Member to the statement made by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister on 21 November 2007,  Official Report, column 1179. The review by the Cabinet Secretary and security experts is looking at procedures within Departments and agencies for the storage and use of data. A statement on Departments' procedures will be made on completion of the review.

Departmental Data Protection

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many confirmed data security breaches there have been in his Department in the last 36 months; and what action was taken after each occurrence.

Douglas Alexander: I refer the hon. Member to the statement made by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister on 21 November 2007,  Official Report, column 1179. The review by the Cabinet Secretary and security experts is looking at procedures within Departments and agencies for the storage and use of data. A statement on Departments' procedures will be made on completion of the review.

Developing Countries: Overseas Aid

Mark Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development when he plans to publish the development effectiveness summaries for key multilateral partners on his Department's website.

Shahid Malik: We plan to publish multilateral development effectiveness summaries covering 15 institutions on the DFID website on 3 December.

Fairtrade Foundation: Finance

Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much his Department allocated to the Fairtrade Foundation in each of the last five years; how much will be given in 2008-09; and if he will make a statement.

Gareth Thomas: In each of the last five years we have given the following funding to the Fairtrade Foundation:
	
		
			   £ 
			 2003-04 240,695 
			 2004-05 230,478 
			 2005-06 264,169 
			 2006-07 296,795 
			 2007-08 135,583 
		
	
	We are currently discussing future funding with the UK Fairtrade Foundation and its international partner, Fairtrade Labelling Organisations International (FLO). At the request of FLO, we have agreed to give interim funding to the Fairtrade Foundation for the next two years, until a strategic review on its expansion has been completed and a longer-term proposal can be put to donors. Our interim support will be around €1 million over two years. No decision has been made about the size of our longer-term funding, but we remain committed to expanding the fair trade sector.

Forced Labour: Cocoa

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent discussions his Department has had with  (a) the Government of Ivory Coast,  (b) the Government of Ghana and  (c) other Governments of cocoa-producing countries on the use of child labour in cocoa production.

Gareth Thomas: DFID officials regularly discuss child labour in the cocoa industry with the Government of Ghana, who has shown strong commitment to the issue. The Government have passed a Children's Act which prohibits child labour, especially the engagement of children in hazardous and exploitative work. It has also been working with the International Labour Organisation on a Programme for the elimination of child labour since 2000 and is collaborating with the industry initiative, known as the Harkin-Engel Protocol, to eradicate child labour in cocoa production.
	DFID has not held discussions with the Government of Ivory Coast on child labour in cocoa production. DFID does not have a bilateral programme with Ivory Coast.
	DFID has had no discussions with the Governments in other cocoa-producing countries specifically on the use of child labour in cocoa production.

Non-Governmental Organisations: Finance

Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what funding his Department gave to  (a) domestic and  (b) international non-governmental organisations and charities pursuing fair trade goals in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement.

Gareth Thomas: Over the last five years we have provided over £2 million in funding to a number of different fair trade projects with different domestic non-governmental organisations. The annual breakdown is as follows.
	
		
			   Amount (£) 
			 2003-04 96,052 
			 2004-05 130,478 
			 2005-06 334,653 
			 2006-07 944,789 
			 2007-08 870,330 
		
	
	We have provided funding through a variety of mechanisms, including programme grants to the Fairtrade Foundation and other fair-trade organisations such as the Co-operative College and the Development Awareness Fund. Though all recipients of the above grants are UK-based, a number of them work with international organisations. For example, the Fairtrade Foundation works closely with Fairtrade Labelling Organisations International. As a result, some funding reaches non-UK based NGOs, though the specific amounts may not be detailed in project proposals.

Tibet: Asylum

Anthony Steen: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much he allocated to support work with refugees from Tibet in each of the last five years.

Shahid Malik: We have not provided any support to refugees from Tibet in the last five years.